Joshua T. Bell

After two months of renovations, Cook’s Kitchen is back in action.

The small diner closed June 12 to renovate after changing owners and opened the doors again towards the end of September.

“We opened with no till. We didn’t do any advertising,” said Stacy Flute, a Cook’s Kitchen waitress. “[The remodel] was just needed. There was a lot of stuff that needed to get fix that didn’t. When [the construction workers] got in there, they ran into more problems that they needed to get through,” Flute said.

New maroon vinyl booths line the north and south walls. The north wall once held a counter with seating.

“I think Karl (Steege) wanted more seating so we got rid of the counter, which is a pain for [waitresses]; it was just to open it up,” Flute said. Steege, who owns Skinner’s Pub, is the new owner of Cook’s.

Cook’s also discarded the round tables. Where they once sat, new square tables fill the center of the open room.

“The men’s room is the only thing that remains the same,” Flute jokes.

With new items on the menu, such as hot pork, the choices vary.

“We added a lot of new stuff. We did add a kids’ menu that we didn’t have before. ? We tried to add some of the things that we had but did not have on the menu. Breakfast specials are still on there; that is probably the best seller. Biscuits and gravy, people love (them) down here and the pancakes.

“Our portion sizes are huge. You get more than you could want to eat.”

Many students find their way into the family restaurant. What brings in students? They may have seen coupons for “brown baggers” with their SDSU coupon books, which were meant to draw people into the new/old establishment.

Stilll, Flute said it is the all-day breakfast, low prices and the policy of customers seating themselves that really brings in people. The place continues to have that small-town atmosphere.

“What kept ’em here was mainly that we kept the same help. It’s the atmosphere and the people,” she said. Flute joked that she draws in boys in the morning.

“[If] anything, we got better quality stuff than we had before,” Flute said.

For the people who have not been to Cook’s, Flute encourages them to come down and try the food. “We still have breakfast all day. Rarely do people not like it when they come down here.”

Even after a remodel, the restaurant that established itself as a down-home family diner continues to appeal to and surprise customers.

The walls bring people back to their own small-town diners (or bring new people into the atmosphere of small towns). Paintings of cows, sheep and farmhouses line the walls next to chess boards. The bright tone keeps people feeling warm.

Even though, “they’re not even half done with everything,” Flute said, Cook’s Kitchen still holds the flame that draws in the crowds.

#1.882332:1409343169.jpg:Cooks.BVW.CMYK.jpg:Cook’s Kitchen recently reopened its doors after remodeling. They offer a variety of breakfast and dinner items.: