The Cornerstone Restaurants in Midtown Sacramento has been an eatery for as long as anyone can remember. Co-owner Joe Jang say when he and his partner, Danny Leung, bought the café in 1994, a very elderly customer told him she recalled visiting a coffee shop in the same building 80 years before.

Not wanting to argue with success, the partners didn't change the down-home, relaxed atmosphere of the Cornerstone. Today, it is as informal and comfortable as it was decades ago - a familiar neighborhood haunt that claims "regulars" from far and wide. The idea was so appealing that Danny and Joe opened two more Cornerstones - one in Elk Grove and another in Citrus Heights. The Midtown location has, more than once, been named one of Sacramento's "best breakfasts" in citywide surveys.

Open from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 365 days a year, there are few mornings when Cornerstone is not packed with families enjoying breakfast, chatting with neighbors and clustering around popular outdoor tables. Coffee steams from hefty mugs and servers shuttle hearty plates piled high with breakfast favorites.

The philosophy behind this successful family-owned enterprise is simple, according to Joe. "We want to offer real value while serving great food in a comfortable and familiar setting. Cornerstones have a unique character that makes people feel at home. That's what we are aiming for."

Joe and Danny also launched Nishiki Sushi in downtown Sacramento and, more recently, The Stonegrill and Bar in Midtown.