Kathleen's Sky Diner

Robert and Kathleen Ellington opened their restaurant on Lovers Lane in 1988. Robert is the business manager and Kathleen the chef. To quote Kathleen: "Robert worries about the money and I worry about everything else." Kathleen began her culinary odyssey sharing space and expenses with the owners of the Juarez Bakery in a precarious area of east Dallas. She baked at night, delivering and selling her products by day. In 1983, she leased a dilapidated automotive shop renovating it into her own bakery and retail shop. After meeting Robert in 1985; she moved again to his beautiful Brannon building, across from her old shop. Business flourished and so did their relationship. They married in 1987, just about the time the real estate market crashed and Robert lost his building through foreclosure. Our wedding gift to each other was to open a restaurant. At the time, Kathleen was a self taught and accomplished baker/pastry chef, but had huge gaps in her overall culinary experience. In order to be successful she decided to rely on what she knew, which was an amalgam of grandmother Concetta and mother Fran's family recipes reflected both her Italian and California roots. She then adopted her lifelong philosophy which is: "If I like it, my customers will probably like it." The bakery was added and now does a fabulous catering and take out business. On any given day, Kathleen's mom, now in her 80's, can be found working in either sky diner or the bakery next door. After 20 years, the cafe was transformed by changing the atmosphere to an urban style decor with an open air patio. The food is even more trans global, reflecting the Ellington's travels and food experimentation over the years. Hence the new name Sky Diner...Now Boarding.