ROGERS — A 24-hour diner is scheduled to open in about two weeks in the former Hi-D-Ho building at 511 W. Walnut.
Lucy’s Diner, owned by Jason Rider and Ben Canoy of Fort Smith, will offer breakfast, plate lunches, burgers and sandwiches, Rider said.
The diner will be fashioned after Lucy’s Diner in Fort Smith, which has been open about 18 months.
“We planned to open before Thanksgiving, but it didn’t quite happen,” Rider said Tuesday. “Our equipment didn’t arrive in time.”
The equipment has since been installed, Rider said. Now it’s a matter of putting down a new floor, getting in supplies and doing last-minute things before a restaurant opens.
Rider said he is excited about taking over the former Hi-D-Ho location.
“Hi-D-Ho has been part of Rogers for several decades,” Rider said. “It nice to go into a spot that has been serving food for so many years. As I understand it, at one time it was a place were students could get school supplies and also get a sandwich before it became a full-time restaurant. We’re thrilled to carry on the tradition of having good food downtown.”
Cody Conner, manager of the Fort Smith location, is moving to Rogers to manage the new Lucy’s Diner, Rider said.
Rider isn’t the only one excited about Lucy’s opening downtown.
Attorney Ed McClure, who is active with the Rogers Little Theater, said having a 24-hour restaurant downtown “is awesome.”
“This will be great for the cast and crew that work on a show,” he said. “They won’t have to drive to the other side of town to get a meal after a show. It will be good for our customers as well.”
Besides the availability of late night food, McClure said it is great to have someone in the building.
“It’s just good for downtown,” McClure said.
Kerry Jensen, executive director of Main Street Rogers, sees the restaurant as a beginning of change in downtown.
“Personally I think it’s great for a couple of reasons,” Jensen said. “We have a pizza place getting ready to open, a Chicago hot dog restaurant, Kirby’s Kupcakes, a Mexican restaurant, a Latin restaurant and the Iron Horse Coffee shop all downtown. We getting to the point people have a choice of places to eat downtown.”