Nostalgia And Taste Are Not Lost At Reeds Spring Diner
Dinky’s Diner as it appeared several years ago. This was the original location, a travel trailer around one half of one mile south of the current incarnation, which opened in 2008.
July 30, 2020
Brenda Gentry, owner of Dinky’s Diner.
Cindy Hembree
Long before anyone in Stone County had heard of White Castles or sliders there was Dinky’s Diner in Reeds Spring. Back in the early 1970s, a local couple introduced the idea of offering miniature burgers and hot dogs served in small buns to the public.
The brains behind this little operation were those of Bill and Coleen Hauser. They bought a small piece of land at Reeds Spring Junction just north of Reeds Spring on old Highway 160. Soon after, the couple brought a small converted camper trailer from Lampe which had been purchased from a single mother in Springfield and placed it on the property. They opened the windows and began selling the tasty snack size burgers. The placement of the new business was ideal because it would catch the southern traffic on the way into Reeds Spring or traveling northwards to Springfield and beyond.
The business began booming once word spread about the little food shack. Not only were the small burgers delicious, they were extremely economical at three for a dollar. In spite of some drawbacks, such as no air-conditioning or not much room to maneuver, the crew worked without complaint. In the mid-1980s a new road was built and bypassed the diner. The lack of traffic forced the Hauesers to shut down the small delicatessen.
Fast forward to 2008, two decades after the diner had gone out of business. Brenda Gentry, a lifetime resident of Reeds Spring, was the owner of the OJ Blasting Company. Unfortunately, she was being forced out of business due to the bottom falling out of the economy. In 2009, she needed to find some other way to make a living. As a former employee of Dinky’s Diner, Brenda decided to resurrect the business. Incredibly, she was able to find a place to install a new Dinky’s Diner less than a half of a mile north of where the original Dinky’s once stood. It is still at Reeds Spring Junction adjacent to Rantz’s Convenience Store. It previously had a couple of other tenants try to make a go of an eatery in that spot, but they both failed. Gentry knew it was a gamble, but she rolled up her sleeves and got busy.
The rest is history as they say, but there is more to the story. Just like everywhere else, the Corona virus hit Stone County hard. When the COVID-19 put a strain on common supplies such as meat and bathroom tissue, the savvy businesswoman found a way to give back to the community. She ordered the necessary items from her suppliers and sold them at cost to her customers.
“If it was not for the local people and my regulars, I would not have been able to stay open,” proclaims Gentry. She admitted she could not stand by and let people go without things they needed all the while knowing she and the resources to help them.
Dinky’s Diner is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They have a full menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The original Dinky Burgers are still offered on the menu. The diner holds a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on Yelp and TripAdvisor.com
Another perk of visiting Dinky’s is the bi-annual classic car show. The Spring show was canceled due to the pandemic, but owner Brenda Gentry is still hopeful the October 29, 2020 Autumn car show will still be a possibility.
Long before anyone in Stone County had heard of White Castles or sliders there was Dinky’s Diner in Reeds Spring. Back in the early 1970s, a local couple introduced the idea of offering miniature burgers and hot dogs served in small buns to the public.
The brains behind this little operation were those of Bill and Coleen Hauser. They bought a small piece of land at Reeds Spring Junction just north of Reeds Spring on old Highway 160. Soon after, the couple brought a small converted camper trailer from Lampe which had been purchased from a single mother in Springfield and placed it on the property. They opened the windows and began selling the tasty snack size burgers. The placement of the new business was ideal because it would catch the southern traffic on the way into Reeds Spring or traveling northwards to Springfield and beyond.
The business began booming once word spread about the little food shack. Not only were the small burgers delicious, they were extremely economical at three for a dollar. In spite of some drawbacks, such as no air-conditioning or not much room to maneuver, the crew worked without complaint. In the mid-1980s a new road was built and bypassed the diner. The lack of traffic forced the Hauesers to shut down the small delicatessen.
Fast forward to 2008, two decades after the diner had gone out of business. Brenda Gentry, a lifetime resident of Reeds Spring, was the owner of the OJ Blasting Company. Unfortunately, she was being forced out of business due to the bottom falling out of the economy. In 2009, she needed to find some other way to make a living. As a former employee of Dinky’s Diner, Brenda decided to resurrect the business. Incredibly, she was able to find a place to install a new Dinky’s Diner less than a half of a mile north of where the original Dinky’s once stood. It is still at Reeds Spring Junction adjacent to Rantz’s Convenience Store. It previously had a couple of other tenants try to make a go of an eatery in that spot, but they both failed. Gentry knew it was a gamble, but she rolled up her sleeves and got busy.
The rest is history as they say, but there is more to the story. Just like everywhere else, the Corona virus hit Stone County hard. When the COVID-19 put a strain on common supplies such as meat and bathroom tissue, the savvy businesswoman found a way to give back to the community. She ordered the necessary items from her suppliers and sold them at cost to her customers.
“If it was not for the local people and my regulars, I would not have been able to stay open,” proclaims Gentry. She admitted she could not stand by and let people go without things they needed all the while knowing she and the resources to help them.
Dinky’s Diner is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They have a full menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The original Dinky Burgers are still offered on the menu. The diner holds a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on Yelp and TripAdvisor.com
Another perk of visiting Dinky’s is the bi-annual classic car show. The Spring show was canceled due to the pandemic, but owner Brenda Gentry is still hopeful the October 29, 2020 Autumn car show will still be a possibility.