Owner and operator of Kim’s Diner, Kimberly Jones, stands with her partner Justin Strange who had stopped by the diner to help during the lunch rush. Since the grand opening of the restaurant on Mar. 1, Jones has been preparing food, waiting tables, conversing with customers, and leading employees every day but Sunday.
Kim accomplishes her diner dream
By Brandon Frye
Choctaw Nation
Denison, Tx - After working for other people most of her life, Choctaw Kimberly Jones recently achieved a personal dream by opening her very own restaurant, Kim’s Diner, just outside of Denison, Texas.
She has worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years, serving hungry and thirsty customers as a waitress and bartender for local restaurants as well as big franchises. Now, Jones is using everything she has learned to make home-style meals served up with a smile.
It has all happened quickly, Jones said. In January, she was made aware of an appealing empty building east of Denison on Highway 69. Lightly stained wood is present throughout the location, the walls are painted a soft cream, and there is plenty of room to move around. She found the location on a Wednesday, and Kim’s Diner had a soft opening the following weekend. Finding success there, she decided to have the grand opening for her restaurant on March 1.
“We prepare and serve country cooking, home cooking. Most everything that comes out of our kitchen is made from scratch,” Jones said. “It is going to be like your mom and pop diner. Yesterday’s special was meatloaf, today is goulash.”
The menu is something Jones is still perfecting, but she said its development comes from working in the restaurant industry in the area, and knowing what sold and what didn’t sell.
One of the most popular things on the menu at Kim’s Diner is her cheeseburger. “I’ve come up with an excellent cheeseburger that just sells,” she said. “It is a special meat that I worked and worked on, and then there is also a special bun that you won’t find anywhere else around this area.”
Locals stop in to eat and chat with Jones and her wait staff during lunch, the busiest time for the diner. But she also makes it easy for workers on a tight schedule to quickly drive up and grab a home-cooked meal for lunch.
“One thing to overcome is the fear of failure when starting your own business,” Jones said. “You have to change your outlook, because you are responsible for all of it now. It’s very challenging, but it’s also very exciting. I have all of the knowledge it takes to make this work.”
Kim’s grandmother and grandfather Linda and Aaron Bully were full blood Choctaws, as well as her mother who is an active member of the Durant Choctaw Community Center. She said her grandmother made a frybread she has yet to have seen matched, and could make a meal out of whatever was available.
“As a Native American, there are so many things that I’ve bounced back from. You know, a lot of Native Americans can,” Jones said. “The Choctaw Nation helped me and guided me. I am currently in school and about to graduate. They helped me with school, gave me a clothing allowance, things like that.”
Jones said this is all a dream coming true, despite some obstacles in life which had hindered her. “I overcame them all. Here I am today, and I never dreamed that would happen,” she said.
To visit Kim and her Diner, come through downtown Denison and take Highway 69 east toward Bells, after 2.2 miles, look for the sign on the right. The address is 2419 US Highway 69, Denison, Texas 75021.