Business Spotlight: Flossie & Delzena's
[May 23, 2026] Inside
a former downtown bank building complete with original safes and
century-old flooring, Flossie & Delzena's has quietly grown into one of
Lincoln’s most recognizable gathering spaces. What began as a small café
and gift shop has evolved over the past 11 years into a restaurant,
catering business and community hub shaped largely by the people who
walk through its doors each day.
Cosby opened the business 13 years ago in Sherman before eventually
relocating to Lincoln, a move she described as both practical and
personal. The restaurant’s name comes from her two grandmothers —
Flossie and Delzena — and after the death of one of them, Cosby said she
found herself drawn back toward Logan County and the community she grew
up around.
“I always kind of thought it felt right to move here,” Cosby said. “As
soon as you walk downtown, you know, like, this is where I want to be.”
The restaurant now operates out of one of downtown Lincoln’s historic
buildings, a former bank that has served many purposes over the years.
Before Cosby moved in, the space had never fully functioned as a
restaurant kitchen, creating challenges with plumbing, electrical work
and renovations.
“When I first moved in, I was half gift shop,” Cosby said. “All this
back here was gift shop, and the front was the restaurant.”
Originally, the business focused heavily on gifts, florals and handmade
items alongside food service. But Cosby said customers continuously
pushed the business in a different direction. Community members needed
expanded seating, catering services and rental space for events. Rather
than resisting those changes, she leaned into them.
“Listening to your community,” Cosby said, “that is not what I intended.
But, you know, we kind of fill the need.”
Today, catering makes up roughly half the business. Flossie & Delzena’s
caters weddings, rehearsal dinners, business luncheons, sports team
meals, funeral luncheons, baby showers and anniversary parties. The
restaurant also regularly rents out its downtown space for community
gatherings and private events.
One of the earliest event bookings happened almost accidentally. Cosby
recalled a pregnant woman calling in after another venue had
accidentally double-booked her baby shower the day before the event.
Cosby offered her the restaurant space after closing hours, and the
experience quickly revealed a community need for smaller event venues in
Lincoln.
“It was just a niche—again, just listening to your community,” she said.
That community connection became especially important during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Cosby said the restaurant remained open for carryout
service and quickly shifted toward preparing meals for nursing home
workers, paramedics, elderly residents and families unable to leave
their homes.
“We just started doing casseroles and full meals,” Cosby said. “I think
I paid my rent in casseroles that first month.”
She said community members often donated money specifically to help feed
healthcare workers and vulnerable residents during the pandemic. Staff
members with less financial need voluntarily gave up work hours so
coworkers who depended on the income could continue working.
“I didn’t have to let anybody go,” Cosby said. “Nobody had to file
unemployment.”
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While the pandemic permanently shifted customer habits toward carryout
dining, Cosby said it also reinforced how deeply connected the
restaurant had become to the community. Before COVID-19, she estimated
the business was roughly 70% dine-in and 30% carryout. Now, she said,
those numbers have nearly reversed “now at 60% carryout [and] 40%
dine-in.”
The restaurant itself has evolved dramatically over the years. What
began as a smaller lunch-focused café with just a handful of sandwiches
and soups has expanded into a much larger menu that continues growing
through seasonal specials and rotating offerings.
Among the most popular items is “Grant’s Chicken Salad,” a recipe
inspired by Cosby’s grandmother Flossie. Cosby said she almost left the
item off the menu because she considered it too simple compared to more
modern chicken salad recipes. Friends convinced her otherwise.
“It’s the most popular item,” she said. “We sell it by the pound now
too.”
Another longtime favorite is the “My Two Boys” panini, inspired by her
sons during the restaurant’s early test-kitchen days at home.
Cosby said one of the most rewarding parts of the business has been
building long-term relationships — both with customers and employees.
Some staff members have worked there for all 11 years the Lincoln
location has been open, while others return periodically even after
moving into different careers.
“I always feel like it’s not my restaurant,” Cosby said. “Like I’m
inviting people into my home.”
Beyond the restaurant itself, Cosby also serves as the Logan County
Small Business Coalition coordinator through a grant administered by the
Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois after the closure of
the local chamber of commerce. In that role, she works with
entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the county.
She also recently expanded operations to the Lincoln Elks Lodge, where
Flossie & Delzena’s provides food service on Tuesday and Thursday
evenings.
Despite the restaurant’s growth, Cosby said she still sees the business
as a partnership with the people who support it.
“The community supports us, and we support them,” she said. “That’s the
way I look at it.”
[Sophia Larimore] |
