Depot Diner Opens Under New Management

Owner Brenda Boggs at the new Diner

The Little Diner That Could:  Depot Diner Opens Under New Management

By Robin Ford Wallace

The Depot Diner, located right at the heart of Rising Fawn, the recognized center of the known universe [see writer’s column below], no doubt broke a few hearts when it closed in December.  Besides franchise food at the truck stop on the I-59 exit, there was no other restaurant in town.

But those in Rising Fawn who hunger may now once again be fed.  The Diner has reopened under new management, and unless you absolutely cannot get by without having your table bused by someone in spurs with loaded six-shooters strapped to both thighs, you might even think it’s better now than ever.

“The only problem I’ve had is keeping up with the ordering,” says Brenda Boggs, who bought the Diner lock, stock and barrel from the McBryar family – Eddie AKA “Cowboy,” Charlotte and Treva – and has spent the last couple of months cleaning and refurbishing it.

Ms. Boggs, looking perky in her new hot-pink Depot Diner T-shirt – the back depicts a “Little-Engine-That-Could”-style steam locomotive – opened on March 8 in what she planned as a “soft opening.”  There was nothing soft about it.

“I wanted my people to get into the groove,” said Ms. Boggs.  “That didn’t work out well because they slammed us right out of here that Friday night.  People just kept coming.”

Ms. Boggs shows off the back of the Depot Diner T, which features a Little Engine That Could motif.

Ms. Boggs didn’t try to change the Depot Diner’s name – “It’s on the roof,” she points out – but she made some menu changes.  Most noticeably, patrons can now have breakfast at any time – no cracks about “scrambled eggs in the Renaissance,” please – but short orders are the order of the day Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and supper.  Short orders include big, generous burgers and other sandwiches available with sides including hand-cut french fries and deep-fried green beans Ms. Boggs says the crowds are going wild for.

On Sunday and Monday, Ms. Boggs serves meat-and-three-style plate lunches.  “Bama Side, Larry’s and Geneva’s are all closed on Mondays,” said Ms. Boggs.  “I want to drive them down this way.”

She advises diners to come early on plate-lunch days because so far the chow has run out before the doors have stopped swinging every time.

The Depot Diner opens at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday.  It closes at 7 p.m. every day but Wednesday, when everything in Rising Fawn including the post office and the hardware source (both, incidentally, important local hubs for the free and unfettered flow of information) closes at noon and Ms. Boggs realized in short order she might as well, too. 

“I found out in a heartbeat Wednesday wasn’t a good day,” she said.  Two Rising Fawn churches host Wednesday night suppers, she said.  She didn’t want to interfere with that and in any case figured it was the universe’s way of telling her to take a load off.  “Wednesday is going to be a me-day,” she said.

Ms. Boggs has never run a restaurant before but says she grew up in the environment:  “My mother was a restaurant manager as far back as I can remember.”  She employs a staff of six – “Three cooks, two waitresses and Amanda.”

Amanda, Ms. Boggs’ general factotum and Jackie of all trades, worked with her at Memorial Hospital, where Ms. Boggs was formerly a licensed phlebotomist.

Ms. Boggs invites all to come in and check out the new Depot Diner seven days a week. 

The Planet can recommend the cheeseburger.

robinfordwallace@tvn.net