Popular Hamilton restaurant moving to new location

Liz Nash-Pittman removes the lettering from the Lindenwald Station restaurant Wednesday, Dec. 13. The restaurant is moving to a new location at 5072 Pleasant Ave. in Fairfield. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Liz Nash-Pittman removes the lettering from the Lindenwald Station restaurant Wednesday, Dec. 13. The restaurant is moving to a new location at 5072 Pleasant Ave. in Fairfield. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

A popular local restaurant in Hamilton’s Lindenwald neighborhood has closed its doors. But loyal fans of Lindenwald Station Family Diner shouldn’t worry, because the popular eatery plans to reopen in early 2018 at a new location.

Fairfield residents Mike and Donna Cooper have operated the restaurant for six years at its current location, 2535 Pleasant Ave., but confirmed Wednesday they have shuttered the doors on that operation and will be relocating to Riegert Square, 5072 Pleasant Ave. near the city’s Village Green.

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“The new location used to be Gene’s Resale Shop,” Donna said. “We have already been working on the new location and just had to start with that plan earlier than we thought we would, but we are looking forward to opening up and serving our customers at the new place beginning in January of 2018.”

One of the eatery’s fans, Hamilton resident Steve Monnin, is glad to hear that the restaurant will be relocating and not closing its doors for good.

“I think it is like a diamond in the rough,” he said of the restaurant. “Great food and service.”

Steve Colwell, a Hamilton resident and director of Film Hamilton, is also one of the restaurant’s loyal customers. He said the train-themed restaurant that features all-day “Boxcar Breakfasts” and “Dining Car” dinner selections has become a family favorite in the area.

“Some of the best food around and it doesn’t get much better than their sweet potato fries with apple butter,” Colwell said. “Great food and great people and I can’t wait for them to reopen.”

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One of the things that Colwell noticed that had become a good problem for the Coopers was that the restaurant’s growing popularity had created a shortage of space for people looking to dine there.

“The only problem we ever had was when they were so busy we couldn’t get seated quick enough,” he said.

The Coopers said the new space will be able to accommodate more people, and, according to Donna Cooper, will also allow the couple to own the building housing their restaurant instead of having to rent space.

“We will have almost twice the size as the old space and will also have a larger kitchen,” she said.

The restaurant’s popular train theme will not change, she said, and the new location’s storefront will be adorned with a hand-painted train mural.

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