Franks Diner 508 58th St., Kenosha Industry: Restaurants Employees: 22 franksdinerkenosha.com In a small Midwestern town, it’s rare to come across a restaurant that has just as much draw with out-of-towners as it does with local regulars. Franks Diner in downtown Kenosha is one of the few. Opened in the 1920s in a train car
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Franks Diner is located at 508 58th St. in downtown Kenosha.[/caption]
“I think we’ve replaced every single item in there except maybe the dishwasher,” said Rittmiller. “It is an investment.”
Within the past three years, Franks has been outfitted with a new kitchen cooler, air conditioning for the middle seating section, fresh paint in the bathrooms and at the front entrance, a partial new roof and a new point-of-sale system.
With the restaurant capped at 55 seats – and no feasible way of adding on to the existing structure – Franks has recently expanded its outdoor seating in the summertime, taking over some of the adjacent American Legion parking lot.
Rittmiller attributes Franks’ long-running success to the support of the Kenosha community. In return, Franks is committed to giving back, including through donations to Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, Kenosha Police and Fire departments, The Mary Lou & Arthur F. Mahone Foundation and the American Legion as well as participation in and sponsorship of numerous local events like the Museum Crawl, Kenosha Pops Concerts, HarborMarket food demonstrations, Bowls & Books and the annual Rotary Softball Tournament.
Rittmiller serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club, while Ervin serves on the boards of the Lakeshore Business Improvement District, Visit Kenosha and Kenosha’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee.
The couple moved to Kenosha in 2003 as newlyweds. It was halfway between Milwaukee, where Rittmiller had been working in corporate retail, and Chicago, where Ervin had been working for his family’s janitorial supply business. They had heard about Franks, and then after about a year living in the area, they “finally stumbled on it,” said Rittmiller.
“We walked in, loved it, like immediately, and just ended up eating there for years, became regulars,” she said. “We were there probably every weekend both days and ended up becoming really good friends with the two women that owned it.”
Previous owners Chris Schwartz and Lynn Groleau, who, with a third partner Kris Derwae, had bought the diner from the Franks family in 2001, started asking Rittmiller and Ervin for small favors – go out and get eggs, count tips, run coffee – and later approached them about buying the business.
Fifteen years later, Rittmiller, 62, and Ervin, 64, are on the lookout for Franks’ next caretakers to take over the business and carry on its legacy, said Rittmiller, hinting at eventual retirement.
“We’re hoping it’s either regulars or staff that will step up,” she said.
