A Lufkin, Texas Favorite Diner Was Once Completely Destroyed

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Customers were inside at the time
No one was killed
Mom was in the hospital for 8 weeks

Mom's Diner is a Lufkin, Texas institution. We all know that Mom's Diner had a different location at 900 Frank Avenue closer to the hospital.

More recently they moved closer to downtown Lufkin to 420 West Frank Ave. Did you know that they were originally at a third completely different location?

The diner was first opened in December of 1986 by Bonnie Sue Hooper "Mom" Free as Mom's Diner. The first location was along HWY 103 East on almost the other side of town.

The restaurant was on the opposite side of the road from the paper mill. The events surrounding their first move are chilling.

Mom In The Hospital For 8 Weeks After Scary Accident

Mom was working a normal day at the restaurant on May 12, 1995. The restaurant was unusually empty for a Friday afternoon and things went downhill from there.

An 18-Wheeler was doing a U-Turn on Hwy 103 and the driver of a log truck hit the corner of the truck that was turning and went right through the building.

Mom was hit by the truck and was pushed through a brick wall and pinned to a tree. An employee and one customer were also injured and were taken to a Houston Hospital via Life Flight.

Luckily, there were no fatalities.

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Mom was in the hospital for 8 weeks. With the help of employees, friends, and customers Mom's reopened on July 24, 1995, at the 900 Frank Ave Location.

Some would say that Mom was very lucky. She would have said she was not lucky, but truly blessed.

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This story is a testament to the strong woman she was and the values that have been passed down to her family. They continue to run the restaurant even to this day.

Mom passed away in 2017, also in the month of May.

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Mom established her business on a simple principle that we could really use right now. Customer service is utilized in a way that encourages friendships and lifetime bonds while treating employees like family.

The big restaurant companies of today could take a page from Mom's book. If Mom's Diner can survive all this destruction in the past, they can survive anything.