Feb. 6, 2010
Historic Parkette Drive-in Under New Management in
Lexington, KY
Story By Sandee Lloyd
Photos By John and Sandee Lloyd
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
On a stretch of Lexington, KY's New Circle Road boasting several impressive neon signs, one of the most original is once again brightening the evening sky. The Parkette, a Lexington icon since November 10, 1951, has reopened under new ownership. Jeff Kaplan, who owns several Subway restaurants in the Lexington area and his brother Randy, a former Lexington police officer, were looking for a location for a new restaurant and discovered the Parkette had closed and was available.
The restaurant's original owner Joe Smiley closed it in 2003, but a group of
investors purchased the property and kept it open a few more years. After being
closed for a few months, letters on the big neon sign indicating "New owners 4
fall" gave hope that the Parkette was going to have a new life.
In March of 2009 the restaurant reopened and was so popular that the new owners and restaurant workers were overwhelmed and unable to handle the orders in a timely fashion. The restaurant closed for retooling and opened again in August of 2009, now fully prepared for the expected onslaught.
The Parkette is extremely popular and the Friday evening we visited had standing room only inside, with plenty of cars under the carport for drive-in service.
The food was excellent, with generous portions and the wait staff was efficient and very friendly. The Parkette has an upbeat, happy feel and is a fun restaurant for all ages. Besides the jukebox, there is a diner-themed pinball game and a food-themed video game to keep children of all ages entertained.
Jeff and Randy completely remodeled the building, doing most of the work themselves, and it is a true 50s style restaurant. The interior boasts sparkling vinyl Cadillac-seat-style booths in red and white, with a blue and white seat along the wall to hold the overflow crowd. A bubble-up Wurlitzer jukebox plays 50s hits by Chuck Berry and other favorites of the era. The black and white tile floor is wide enough for dancing, and with the bouncy music it is very hard to stay in your seat. I kept waiting for Fonzie and the "Happy Days" kids to appear.
On the walls are huge pictures showing the original restaurant standing alone in an immense field when it first opened. Now it is in the middle of a thriving business district. There are pictures from the 50s of the staff and other views of the restaurant.
The menu features many items made popular by the original owners, including the Poor Boy and the Smiley Boy. Fifties style pictures grace the menu along with the story of the Parkette's origin and its rebirth. Jeff and Randy kept many of the customer favorites and added some new items.
The new owners plan to have car shows and cruise-ins during the summer months.
The Parkette is an authentic drive-in with a huge wavy-topped carport with menu-topped call boxes for placing orders. Car Hops bring the order to your car, but in a departure from the cash-only 50s, carry portable machines that can read debit cards.
The huge neon sign has been refurbished and the cheery carhop is once again holding out her hamburger on a tray high above the street. Cars chase across the top of the sign and moving arrows show the way to the parking lot. Now a Lexington landmark, the sign was erected in 1957 and is a reminder of the wonderful neon creations of the 50s that beckoned hungry travelers to stop.
The restaurant appeals to all ages and I saw adults who undoubtedly ate there as teenagers, reliving what it was like growing up in the 50s, as well as young families making their own traditions at the Parkette.
The original owner was inspired by a restaurant in West Virginia. Looking up restaurants in West Virginia called Parkette, the most likely influence would have been Long's Parkette in Kenova, as it was a similar style drive-in and featured the same sort of menu.
The Parkette is located at 1230 E New Circle Road in Lexington, KY and is open from 11:00 Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sunday. Their website is http://www.theparkette.com/.
The pictures show The Parkette at dusk and after dark, with interior shots which include the large pictures of the original building. There are also pictures of The Parkette open under previous ownership and with the promise to open. To see more pictures, visit http://lloydphotography.ifp3.com/.
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
Lexington, KY
Story By Sandee Lloyd
Photos By John and Sandee Lloyd
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
On a stretch of Lexington, KY's New Circle Road boasting several impressive neon signs, one of the most original is once again brightening the evening sky. The Parkette, a Lexington icon since November 10, 1951, has reopened under new ownership. Jeff Kaplan, who owns several Subway restaurants in the Lexington area and his brother Randy, a former Lexington police officer, were looking for a location for a new restaurant and discovered the Parkette had closed and was available.
 |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
In March of 2009 the restaurant reopened and was so popular that the new owners and restaurant workers were overwhelmed and unable to handle the orders in a timely fashion. The restaurant closed for retooling and opened again in August of 2009, now fully prepared for the expected onslaught.
The Parkette is extremely popular and the Friday evening we visited had standing room only inside, with plenty of cars under the carport for drive-in service.
The food was excellent, with generous portions and the wait staff was efficient and very friendly. The Parkette has an upbeat, happy feel and is a fun restaurant for all ages. Besides the jukebox, there is a diner-themed pinball game and a food-themed video game to keep children of all ages entertained.
Jeff and Randy completely remodeled the building, doing most of the work themselves, and it is a true 50s style restaurant. The interior boasts sparkling vinyl Cadillac-seat-style booths in red and white, with a blue and white seat along the wall to hold the overflow crowd. A bubble-up Wurlitzer jukebox plays 50s hits by Chuck Berry and other favorites of the era. The black and white tile floor is wide enough for dancing, and with the bouncy music it is very hard to stay in your seat. I kept waiting for Fonzie and the "Happy Days" kids to appear.
On the walls are huge pictures showing the original restaurant standing alone in an immense field when it first opened. Now it is in the middle of a thriving business district. There are pictures from the 50s of the staff and other views of the restaurant.
The menu features many items made popular by the original owners, including the Poor Boy and the Smiley Boy. Fifties style pictures grace the menu along with the story of the Parkette's origin and its rebirth. Jeff and Randy kept many of the customer favorites and added some new items.
The new owners plan to have car shows and cruise-ins during the summer months.
The Parkette is an authentic drive-in with a huge wavy-topped carport with menu-topped call boxes for placing orders. Car Hops bring the order to your car, but in a departure from the cash-only 50s, carry portable machines that can read debit cards.
The huge neon sign has been refurbished and the cheery carhop is once again holding out her hamburger on a tray high above the street. Cars chase across the top of the sign and moving arrows show the way to the parking lot. Now a Lexington landmark, the sign was erected in 1957 and is a reminder of the wonderful neon creations of the 50s that beckoned hungry travelers to stop.
The restaurant appeals to all ages and I saw adults who undoubtedly ate there as teenagers, reliving what it was like growing up in the 50s, as well as young families making their own traditions at the Parkette.
The original owner was inspired by a restaurant in West Virginia. Looking up restaurants in West Virginia called Parkette, the most likely influence would have been Long's Parkette in Kenova, as it was a similar style drive-in and featured the same sort of menu.
The Parkette is located at 1230 E New Circle Road in Lexington, KY and is open from 11:00 Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sunday. Their website is http://www.theparkette.com/.
The pictures show The Parkette at dusk and after dark, with interior shots which include the large pictures of the original building. There are also pictures of The Parkette open under previous ownership and with the promise to open. To see more pictures, visit http://lloydphotography.ifp3.com/.
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
