A fire forced this restaurant to close back in February, but it’s about to reopen

It’s been almost 10 weeks since an electrical fire forced the owners of Jimmie’s Diner at 1419 George Washington Drive to close their restaurant.

But on Monday, it will finally reopen. And owner Linda Davidson said the restaurant’s regular customers are beyond ready to return. Many of them have been driving to the Jimmie’s Diner at 3111 N. Rock Road while their regular spot has been closed.

“I was at Rock Road the other day, and this lovely regular couple came in, and the first thing they said to me was, ‘How much longer?’” Davidson said.

Fire crews were called to the restaurant about an hour after the restaurant staff had locked up and gone home on Feb. 10. A passing motorist noticed heavy smoke and called 911.

It was later determined that the fire started in the rooftop furnaces. Crews got the fire out quickly or the damage could have been much worse, Davidson said. The flames stayed in the attic, but most of the restaurant’s surfaces were covered in residue from thick, black electrical smoke.

It took awhile to get everything coordinated between the insurance company and contractors, Davidson said, which is why reopening has taken so long. Thanks to good insurance, she said, the restaurant was able to continue paying its staff during the downtime.

“All of them are back,” she said. “They’re our cleaning crew. They’ve been working diligently the past couple of weeks.”

When customers return on Monday, they might notice that the dining room looks a bit different. Davidson said that the restaurant used to have a low ceiling with wooden beams over the counter, but they were in bad condition after the fire and had to be removed.

The owners actually liked the result: It opens up the counter area and makes everything look cleaner, Davidson said.

Plus, everything got a fresh coat of paint, so “It’s almost like the restaurant got a mini-makeover,” Davidson said.

Linda Davidson, her husband, Jack, and her son, Joe, opened the south location of Jimmie’s Diner in 2012. Previously, the building had been home to Toc’s Coffee House from 1967 until it closed in 2011.

The hours at both Jimmie’s Diner restaurants are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 11:44 AM.

Denise Neil

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6327

Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.