Kilgore's Family Restaurant has offered the finest in old-fashioned southern cooking at a great price since John and his mother Linda opened at the original location, in a small store on Short Mountain Highway, in April, 1997.
The original site was basically a small convenience market with a breakfast, lunch and snack bar that continued to grow until the family opened the new business just to keep up with demand.
The present location on Highway 70 opened in November, 2005, and the old store was close a year and a half later so the family could concentrate solely on the Restaurant.
Kilgore says that land has been purchased just down the street for a future building project, and that a new facility will be built eventually. He says that the project is not pressing at the moment, though, as the family plans to sit tight for a while to see what the sluggish economy does.
“We are not in any hurry to build right now due to the economy,” Kilgore said. “A new building is in our future, but not any time soon.”
Many of the staff at Kilgore’s are long time employees, and are well known to the regulars at the eatery.
“Many of our staff have been with us for several years, and we don't have a lot of turnover. Some of them have worked for us for eight or ten years, which is great for us and the customers. It helps us build a relationship with the community”
The staff at Kilgore’s gives a little something back to the community when it feeds the DCHS Tiger football team before each away game, Kilgore says that it is simply his way of returning something to the public, who have been very good to him and his family.
“The people of this county have been good to me,” he said. “ I try to give a little back whenever I can, because the people of DeKalb County have really supported me over the years.”
The Kilgore’s are long-time members of New Home Baptist Church where John will soon be ordained as a deaon. John and his wife Ginda have two children, Kolter, 7, and Kora, 4.
Kilgore’s Restaurant is located at 2595 Nashville Highway, and is open 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.