Frank's Diner

Frank's Diner
Frank's Diner in 2015
Restaurant information
Food type American
City Kenosha
State Wisconsin
Country United States
Coordinates 42°35′01″N 087°49′03″W / 42.58361°N 87.81750°W / 42.58361; -87.81750Coordinates: 42°35′01″N 087°49′03″W / 42.58361°N 87.81750°W / 42.58361; -87.81750

Frank's Diner, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is a Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company lunch car diner.

Notable features

The diner seats 55 patrons and is noted for the numerous slogans posted on the walls, such as "Order what you want, eat what you get."[1] The diner's signature dish is the Garbage Plate,[2][3] a large omelette cooked together with hash browns and meat.[1]

History

The dining car was built in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1926, and transported on a railroad flat car to Kenosha. It was then pulled by six horses to the downtown spot, near the shoreline of Lake Michigan, where it stands today. Anthony Frank's, who first learned of the restaurant opportunity through a magazine article, paid US$7,500 (equivalent to US$103,675 in 2017) plus $325 in shipping charges to launch Frank's Diner.

Over the years, there have been few changes in the structural appearance of the Frank's Diner. The original lunch car has an open grill and counter with 17 stools. A small dining room, which now contains seven booths, was added in 1935 and a larger kitchen in the mid-1940s.

The Frank's family operated Frank's Diner continuously until 2001 when they sold it to Lynn Groleau, Chris Schwartz, and Kris Derwae. Derwae sold her share to Groleau and Schwartz in 2006.

In December 2010, Kevin Ervin and Julie Rittmiller purchased the restaurant and said they have no plans for changes in Frank's Diner's operations.

Many renovations have been completed on Frank's Diner since 2001. The original kitchen, then pantry, was renovated into an additional dining area. The arched wooden ceiling and much woodwork was restored. Removing layers of paint uncovered the original "Frank's DINER" hand-lettered sign painted on what was the outer side of the original dining car, now facing the inside of the main dining area.

Celebrity patrons

In past years, Vaudeville and other entertainment acts at local theaters were popular. Many performers, including The Three Stooges,[1] Bela Lugosi, Duke Ellington, Liberace[1] and members of the Lawrence Welk orchestra, dined at Frank's. Recent celebrity sightings include Chicago news anchor Ron Magers; New York weather presenter and actor Lonnie Quinn; and Peter Tork of The Monkees; and Food Network host Guy Fieri, who featured the diner on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.[3] Frank's Diner has been featured in numerous other television shows, travel magazines, newspapers and radio programs.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Schlesinger, Michael (February 28, 2018). "Franks' Diner in Kenosha is both iconic & tasty". CBS58 Morning News. WDJT-TV.
  2. ↑ Lewis, Chelsey (September 7, 2017). "Lake Geneva's opulent lakefront estates are a walk or boat ride away". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  3. 1 2 "Franks Diner". Food Network. Restaurants. Scripps Networks. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
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