Roses Highway Inn was a beloved Federal Way landmark, first opened in 1939 by Rose Wilcox and her sister Sarah after they purchased and renovated an abandoned restaurant called Mesmer’s. Located along Pacific Highway South, the Inn quickly became famous for Rose’s secret-recipe fried chicken, drawing travelers and locals alike for hearty, home-cooked meals. As one of the few pre-World War II businesses to survive into the late 20th century, Roses Hiway Inn stood as a nostalgic reminder of the area’s roadhouse era, serving up comfort food to generations until its closure and eventual destruction by fire in 2003.