‘Not so dinky’

From the ashes rises the phoenix — and from the griddle rises pancakes, scrambled eggs and all manner of breakfast fare at the new “Not So” Dinky Diner.

The popular town eatery had been closed since a March 28, 2023 fire badly damaged its former location: a now-demolished 100-year-old building at 230 Thayer Street in Rhinelander’s historic “Hollow.”

Almost exactly two years later, owners Terrie Bowman and Rick Covin, with the support of community fundraisers and a Community Development Investment grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, launched their new Brown Street location with a March 19 soft opening.

The Dinky Diner was previously owned by Earl and Margo Morey and operated out of the service station building at the intersection of State Highway 47 and River Street.

The Moreys retired in 2016 after selling the business to Covin and Bowman, who would eventually move the diner to Thayer Street in 2018 — the location of the old Sportsman’s Cafe.

The Dinky Diner is now at 130 North Brown Street in Rhinelander — the site of the former Frasier’s Kitchens.

Michael Strasburg may be reached at [email protected].