Lexington Diner recently celebrated its three-year anniversary as a downtown breakfast staple.

Owners Karin West and Ranada Riley opened Lexington Diner in February 2014. They started out with the plan to open up a food truck, but spaces downtown became available and they assessed that opening a diner was the best opportunity for them.

“We were really excited to be a part of the downtown community. We felt this was a great corner and the opportunity was too much to pass up,” West said.

Being a diner in the downtown community helps West and Riley have a diverse clientele. West said she sees the diner as a gathering place and she feels that is what makes Lexington Diner unique.

“You can see, meet, and talk to anyone in a diner,” West said.

West explained that she loves having regulars like the “Dr. Pepper Girl” who they know as the girl who wants a Dr. Pepper every single time she comes in. West loves having relationships like that with all her regulars.

Former Governor of Kentucky Steve Beshear recently gave the Democrats’ response to Trump’s Address at the Lexington Diner. 

Originally, West was the only one who knew that Beshear was going to be giving the Democrats’ response at the diner and she wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about it. The location had to be kept quiet, so she told her staff they were filming a commercial.

“It was amazing to be a part of history. I don’t think I realized until that evening that the broadcast was a worldwide broadcast from our little diner,” West said.

The owners said the Lexington Diner tries to use as many locally sourced products as possible. Their main proteins–beef, eggs, and chicken–are locally sourced. They then supplement what they can’t get from local farms at the farmers markets in Lexington.

The diner does not have the most typical diner menu, but they have some diner classics.

“We have a lot of diner classics on there, but we have more artisan items that are also on the menu. It’s split down the middle,” West said.

The diner’s menu changes in the Spring and Fall. On the weekends, the diner only serves brunch and offers an abbreviated menu compared to the weekdays.

According to West, Lexington Diner’s signature breakfast dish is the Lexington Breakfast and the signature lunch dish is the Kentucky Bourbon Burger. On the weekdays, Lexington Diner is open for both breakfast and lunch.