Restaurant that was home of the famed Ranger Burger now up for sale

An area restaurant property best known for its popular Ranger Burger and visits by legions of soldiers, including U.S. Army generals and celebrities, has been put up for sale.

Four Winds Cafe, located at 464 Georgia Hwy. 26 in Cusseta, Ga., just south of Columbus and Fort Benning, has been listed at a price of $679,000 by Buena Vista Realty, although broker Claudine Morgan said all offers will be entertained by the owner.

That owner is Susan Cox, who founded the restaurant in 1979 with her late husband, Donald, with the couple moving to the current location — which was built with the assistance of Army Rangers during their off time — in the early 1990s.

“I would be so happy to see it open again, because I live up behind it, and I could go down there and eat when I want to. I could meet my friends down there, too,” joked Cox, who has tried to lease the 7,758-square-foot property a few times since losing her husband and mother, Mary Renfroe, a few weeks apart in the summer of 2013.

“I’ve had several people wanting to lease it again, but I don’t want to lease it no more,” said Cox, who has suffered health problems in recent years and now prefers to sell the fully furnished, 200-seat restaurant outright to the right person. “It’s got all of the equipment in it and all of the stuff is in good shape.”

The property also would come with its unique history of serving both area residents in and around the small Chattahoochee County town of Cusseta, but also tens of thousands of soldiers from the military post just to the north, which just happens to have a training site, Camp Darby, down the road from Four Winds Cafe.

Generals who have dined there include David Grange, whose name graces the Best Ranger competition held each year at Fort Benning, and Michael Brown, a popular former post commander. Legend has it that actor Mel Gibson and his crew chowed down at the restaurant while shooting the Vietnam War movie, “We Were Soldiers,” in the area prior to its 2002 premiere.

One of the real stars of the restaurant, however, has been its popular loaded Ranger Burger, which through the years became a tradition of sorts for Army Rangers to wolf it down as part of their transition into the Special Operations ranks. It features two 8-ounce ground beef patties, two slices of cheese, two strips of bacon on a large bun, served with fries and iced tea.

There also was the “Ranger Challenge” for anyone brave enough to tackle it. Customers were offered the chance to devour an 86-ounce steak, one-pound basket of fries, side salad, roll and beverage in 45 minutes. If they accomplished that stomach-stretching feat, the feast was free.

“Last week I was at the doctor and one of the Rangers came up and told me he really missed the Ranger Burger down there, and that all of the Rangers thought a lot of me, that they understand what I’m going through, but really wished that I would open it back up,” said Cox, who would love it if someone connected to the Rangers, active or retired, purchased the property and brought it back to life. She would even work with a new owner for awhile to get it up and running if they wanted her to do so.

“That’s what I’m hoping for. I would like to be down there a few times and see my friends,” she said, laughing. “They weren’t just customers to me, they were family. Even the Rangers, they were like family. And I was seeing a third generation of Rangers coming through when I left.”

Morgan, the real-estate broker marketing the Four Winds Cafe, which sits on about an acre of land, said one of the best things about the sale of the property is that it would be comprehensive. No separate purchase of cooking equipment, tables and chairs would be required. The eatery also has been used as an event and meeting place in the past.

“All you’ve got to do is walk in there and it’s ready to go,” she said. “You’ve just got to buy the food and get the utilities up and going.”

This story was originally published March 7, 2018 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Restaurant that was home of the famed Ranger Burger now up for sale."