Johnny Rockets - I’d love one in Lexington

I have to admit, even as a Gen-X’r I love 50’s diners. I grew up in a small town where I caught the “tail end” of the diner era, just before fast food killed them. We used to have one on Richmond Road called Rockabilly Cafe and were regulars. It’s a simpler food, and, the retro theme breaks us out of the hotspot-entrenched digital world that we work in each day. But Rockabilly closed and the much more hip and modern Panera Bread Co. took over. Ah progress.

I always thought Rockabilly was busy, but their managers had accounting backgrounds and must have seen something different in the monthly receipts - after all, it’s very hard to run an independent restaurant. I would have paid more for my meal to keep the place going but I know most wouldn’t. I also like their other gig, the Common Grounds coffee shop, but that’s another post.

Lexington has the Parkette Drive-in, which maintains some of that flavor - but we also try to break out of the car culture a little when dining as a family, and frankly eating in the car ain’t quite the thrill when you’re in a mini-van. To sit around a chrome-edged table with a juke box playing, sipping milk shakes straight from the blender cup is much more fun.

Johnny Rockets seems to be a well-honed system that is typical of a mature franchise. The closest are in the Cincinnatti area and now there’s one at Newport on the Levee near the Aquarium. I am hoping that one will soon be in Lexington - perhaps downtown or near campus. There’s nothing like it now. All I know is that we’ll be there.

del.icio.us Digg it ma.gnolia Netscape reddit StumbleUpon Yahoo MyWeb

Leave a Reply