After several months closed, Marion’s The Country Diner reopened Jan. 3 with new owners.
Cherie Britt and her daughter-in-law, Melissa Goley, are the new owners of the restaurant at 2429 U.S. Hwy. 221 Business. Britt and Goley said they worked there and well remember how good it was when Lois O’Dear owned and operated it.
Britt and Goley previously planned to take over the business by January of 2025, but Hurricane Helene hit in late September.
The area around U.S. Highway 221 Business was flooded, including the diner. About 13 inches of water rose inside the restaurant. Britt and Goley had to replace all the equipment, tear out the countertops and gut the lower part of the walls. The plumbing had to be replaced, Britt and Goley said…