Pink Saddle Shoes

Carolina Diner reinvents itself as Pop's Diner

01.01.70

The business, owned by Kimberly Burrell, is the former Carolina Diner at 860 N. Main St., across from Hendersonville High School and Boyd Chevrolet Cadillac Buick. Burrell has owned the diner for seven years, and the building, which has become a Hendersonville with a long history of feeding local patrons, has been at the five-way intersection for more than 60 years.

Burrell said the new restaurant is a love letter to her late father, David Seelig, who was often found helping out at the diner although he wasn't an official employee and had no ownership in the business. Seelig passed away in September.

"When he passed away, you know, it just hit me that this would be a great way to honor him because he loved the '50s," Burrell said. "Food was kind of something we always had in common. He ran a huge restaurant in Florida before he moved up here.

"He was my little sidekick. That's why I wanted to name it ‘Pop's,' because everybody called him Pop."

Burrell spent months researching 1950s-style diners to get the look just right, she said. While many establishments feature a red-and-white color scheme, Pop's is a bright combination of turquoise and hot pink, which can be found in everything from the pink and white polka dot walls to the turquoise chairs and booths. A bright neon sign with an arrow that circles the word "Pop's" and points to the word "Diner" also features the colors.

Source: BlueRidgeNow.com