{{more citations needed|date=March 2018}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox restaurant | name = Franks Diner | image = Frank's Diner Kenosha.jpg | image_caption = Franks Diner in 2015 | country = United States | city = Kenosha | state = Wisconsin | food_type = American | coordinates = {{coord|42|35|01|N|087|49|03|W|display=inline,title}} }}
'''Franks Diner''' is a Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company lunch car diner in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
==Notable features== The diner seats 55 patrons and is known for the numerous slogans posted on the walls, such as "Order what you want, eat what you get."<ref name="CBS58">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbs58.com/news/franks |first=Michael |last=Schlesinger |date=February 28, 2018 |title=Franks' Diner in Kenosha is both iconic & tasty |work=CBS58 Morning News |publisher=WDJT-TV}}</ref> The diner's signature dish is the Garbage Plate,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/2017/09/07/lake-genevas-opulent-lakefront-estates-walk-boat-ride-away/635622001/ |title=Lake Geneva's opulent lakefront estates are a walk or boat ride away |first=Chelsey |last=Lewis |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=September 7, 2017}}</ref><ref name="FN Restaurants">{{cite news |url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/wi/kenosha/franks-diner-restaurant |title=Franks Diner |series=Restaurants |work=Food Network |publisher=Scripps Networks |accessdate=2018-03-08}}</ref> which consists of a large omelette cooked together with hash browns and meat.<ref name="CBS58"/>
==History== The dining car was built in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1926 and transported on a railroad flatcar to Kenosha. It was then pulled by six horses to its current downtown location near the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Anthony Franks, who first learned of the restaurant opportunity through a magazine article, paid {{currency|7,500|USD}} ({{Inflation|US|7500|1926|fmt=eq}}) plus $325 in shipping charges to establish Franks' Diner.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
Over the years, there have been few changes to the structural appearance of the diner. The original lunch car has an open grill and counter with 17 stools. In 1935, a small dining room was added, which now houses seven booths. Additionally, a larger kitchen was added in the mid-1940s.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
The Franks family operated Franks Diner continuously until 2001 when they sold it to Lynn Groleau, Chris Schwartz, and Kris Derwae.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.franksdinerkenosha.com/our-story|title=Our Story {{!}} Franks Diner|accessdate=4 February 2026}}</ref> In 2006, Derwae sold her share to Groleau and Schwartz.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
In December 2010, Kevin Ervin and Julie Rittmiller purchased the restaurant and stated that they had no plans to make changes in Franks Diner's operations.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
Many renovations have been completed{{when|date=March 2018}} on Franks Diner since 2001. The original kitchen, then pantry, was renovated{{when|date=March 2018}} into an additional dining area. The arched wooden ceiling and much of the woodwork was restored.{{when|date=March 2018}} Removing layers of paint uncovered{{when|date=March 2018}} the original "Franks DINER" hand-lettered sign painted on what was the outer side of the original dining car, now facing the inside of the main dining area.{{clarify|date=March 2018}}{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
==Celebrity patrons== In past years, vaudeville and other entertainment acts at local theaters were popular. Many performers, including The Three Stooges,<ref name="CBS58"/> Bela Lugosi, Duke Ellington, Liberace<ref name="CBS58"/> and members of the Lawrence Welk orchestra, dined at Franks. Recent celebrity sightings include Chicago news anchor Ron Magers; New York weather presenter and actor Lonnie Quinn; and Peter Tork of The Monkees; and Food Network host Guy Fieri, who featured the diner on ''Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives''.<ref name="FN Restaurants"/> Franks Diner has been featured in numerous other television shows, travel magazines, newspapers and radio programs.<ref name="CBS58"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.Franksdinerkenosha.com/}}
Category:Restaurants in Wisconsin Category:Buildings and structures in Kenosha, Wisconsin Category:Diners in the United States Category:Tourist attractions in Kenosha County, Wisconsin Category:Restaurants established in 1926 Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1926 Category:1926 establishments in Wisconsin Category:Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company