K's eyes summer reopening

3/6/2013

By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

K's Homestyle Diner, which has been closed since a fire Nov. 5, will reopen.

It's just that Kim Leiker, who owns the restaurant with her sister, Kari Geerdes, isn't exactly sure when.

"Actually, we have no idea," she said Tuesday. "We're hoping for this summer, probably later in the summer. We're hoping (remodeling) will be done by then."

An early-morning fire caused by spontaneous combustion when oily rags were piled together gutted the inside of the restaurant at 3402 Vine, site of the former Village Inn Pancake House. The restaurant opened Oct. 1.

"We just got blueprints finished, getting ready to send it out to bids, and we're going to start rebuilding," Leiker said.

There will be a few changes in the interior, most notably the addition of a small banquet room.

The fire isn't the only adversity the siblings have endured. Their mother, Lucreta Russett, died shortly after the restaurant opened.

"We expected it, but the end came very quick," Leiker said. "We didn't expect the end to come so quick.

"She did get to come to the diner the week before she passed, so she got to see it before it burned. We were glad about that."

Leiker said insurance has taken care of expenses with the diner closed.

"The insurance has been great," she said. "Everybody helping us has been great. We've had a lot of support throughout the community."

That support gives the sisters strength, Leiker said.

"We're very strong now. We're very determined to get it back open," she said, "and to make it a great, successful business here in Hays."