In her latest act, Donna Ryder has become Grama.

That is Grama as in Grama’s Diner. She opened for business Thursday in downtown Webster City, overcoming a complication similar to her predecessor Pete’s Donuts whose commercial mixer failed on his first day open.

In Grama’s case, the card reader stopped working.

But that didn’t keep Ryder from prevailing.

Her 635 Elm Street Bakery, which she started from her home in Kamrar, has now grown into a full-blown eatery that will feature baked goods and a lunch special.

With the help of her sister, Nancy Martin, of Harcourt, and her newest employee Sophia Rippentrop, of Webster City, Grama’s is cooking on the front burner.

The diner at 725 Second Street is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Lunch service begins at 10:30 a.m. On Saturday, it’s open from 8:30 a.m. to noon for bakery goods only. The diner is closed on Wednesday.

Eventually, Ryder said, she will serve breakfast on Saturdays, but not until July.

She has more than 25 years of experience cooking in restaurants, from Pennsylvania to Grandma Max’s in Altoona, and some popular local eateries, Ryder said.

Years back, she was working at a beloved Webster City restaurant when the owners retired. That was her cue to launch her own venture.

“I came home and I told my husband, I’m not going back to another restaurant. I can’t afford to buy one, so I’m going to open a bakery.”

Together, she and her husband, Mark Ryder, went to work transforming a portion of their home to become a commercially-licensed kitchen.

Fast forward to Grama’s.

Card reader or not, the customers kept coming.