Focus On: Downtown Diner

Boyana Peeva

VALDOSTA — Downtown Diner is open again. The Valdosta landmark reopened its doors on Oct. 6 — thanks to Roberta Carmickle, its new owner.

Downtown Diner has closed and reopened several times under different ownership since the 1950s. Carmickle bought it on Sept. 18 from Phil Beck.

“Mom used to own a place like that,” Carmickle said.

Roberta Carmickle and her husband, Hank, used to rent a building on Bemiss Road where they had Pa’s Diner before they bought Downtown Diner.

“I wanted something that has seats on the outside,” she said.

It was on a Saturday that she met with Beck and purchased the property.

“Beck made it possible for me to buy it,” Carmickle said. “We got the contract on a handshake. I cried when we got it because I was so emotional. It's hard to get finance ... Otherwise I wouldn't have bought it.”

Carmickle and her family — including daughter Elizabeth Johnson — were all excited about the new business and actively involved in its opening.

Johnson is chef and Roberta Carmickle said that she will leave the diner to her daughter in three years so she can have her own business one day.

Hank Carmickle drives a catering truck and is also helping with the diner.

Downtown Diner is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. The diner is located at 202 W. Hill Ave. and can be reached by calling (229) 244-7144.

Q: Do you know more about the diner since it’s been around for so many years?

A: They made a movie here in Quitman in 1992 and took pictures of the outside and pictures from the inside of the diner, and I’m trying to get a hold of that tape. ‘As Summers Die’ is the name of the movie. I’ve been doing a lot of research, and I’m looking for old pictures of the diner to make it the way it looked before because it’s in the historical part of the town.

Q: What do customers say about reopening the diner?

A: It’s been great because local people who have eaten here before started coming back to eat here again.

Q: What specials do you have?

A: We have different lunch specials every day. Fridays and Saturdays we feature shrimp, sirloin steaks, and all-you-can-eat catfish for $10. Also, we have breakfast in a cup for $1.99 and free coffee, tea or soda, or 10 percent off to police, firefighters, the military ...

Q: What else is on the menu?

A: We have eggs, pancakes, salads, barbecue, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and more.