As the groundwork continues on Hope's new recreational and aquatic center along Spring Hill Road, many residents have found themselves driving that stretch more often to catch a glimpse of the city's newest major project. Before long, the center will draw families, swimmers and ballplayers from across the area.

Just a hundred yards south of the construction site, however, another newcomer has quietly opened its doors.

Brown's Diner, which began serving customers June 8th, has spent its first three weeks building a following for country cooking, breakfast served all day and daily specials in a location owners James Brown and Jamie Formby believe is poised to become one of Hope's busiest corridors.

The restaurant occupies a building that already held a commercial kitchen, something Brown said made the transition possible.

"We started with the Park Place Cafe, and things changed on that, and we just kind of started over from scratch, hired in our fixed staff," Brown said.

Formby explained that Brown originally purchased the property for his plumbing business. "His dad was a pastor, and they had this property," she said. "His dad's no longer a pastor. So he bought the property for the plumbing company, Tri-Co. For Brown, opening a restaurant fulfilled an ambition that had been years in the making.

"I've wanted for a while, because when I quit plumbing, I'm going to retire into something else, and I've wanted a restaurant for a long time," Brown said. "To carry on the family legacy, I guess."

The name Brown's Diner signals exactly the sort of establishment the owners hoped to create—a place where customers can stop in for breakfast before work, return later for a plate lunch or order one of several permanent menu favorites.

"We have daily specials, burgers, chicken strip dinners," Formby said. "We're having breakfast all day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m."

Brown quickly added that the menu continues beyond those staples and the restaurant is already looking toward expansion. "We're waiting on window equipment to come in," Brown said. "We're going to install a walk-up ice cream bar. It'll be window service on it. We're just trying to make the most out of what we have."

Inside, the décor reflects the kind of kitchen many Arkansans remember from childhood. Watermelon decorations, art depicting tomatoes and several vintage kitchen pieces collected from thrift stores and garage sales line the walls.

For a business only weeks into operation, Brown said customer traffic has steadily increased. "Especially for just three weeks in, it's going really well," he said. "It is growing every week."

Neither owner is new to the restaurant business. Formby grew up around it.

"My mom had the Spring Hill Store," she said. "I waited tables as a teenager at Western Sizzlin. I worked at Dairy Queen, and we run the country club."

Brown's family also has deep roots in area restaurants. "My mom had the Apple Dumpling here in town. They had the Iron Skillet out headed toward the airport," he said. "My mom worked in food service her whole life. We grew up eating country cooking."

Customers have quickly registered their favorites. "Our chicken and dressing, we have it every Wednesday, and our catfish," Formby said. "We have it every Thursday. The catfish is available every day Monday through Friday. We do it as a special on Thursday."

Brown said several items remain permanent fixtures regardless of the day's special. "We have chicken fried steak and hamburger steak, and those are all on the permanent menu," he said. "You can order them any day of the week also."

Even now, the menu continues evolving. "We're just kind of feeling out the community," Brown said.

One possible addition happened to arrive while the interview was underway. As we talked, a basket of onion rings emerged from the kitchen. Brown explained the cooks were experimenting with recipes that could eventually find their way onto the menu.

He invited me to try a couple. The batter had a creaminess to it accented by a sparkle of cayenne. The seasoning announced itself without overwhelming the sweetness of the onion. If Brown's Diner adds these to its offerings, they'll be an instant hit.

The location itself was another factor in opening the restaurant. Brown pointed toward the nearby Kelly Fields and the city's recreation center construction. "We've got the upcoming aquatic center, and the ball fields," he said. "We get a lot of traffic from the ball field. We like the spot."

As construction progresses on the aquatic center over the coming months, the visibility of Brown's Diner will likely continue to increase alongside it.

The owners are already planning another feature they believe local diners have been missing. "We are eventually, maybe next week, going to be starting a steak night," Formby said.

Brown said customers can expect quality cuts. "It is going to be some choice ribeye," he said. "We're not sure yet if we're going to do that on kind of a reserve-your-steaks basis."

The dessert case up front is another point of pride. "We try to keep banana pudding, German chocolate cake, butter baker pie, homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch from the dough all the way to the icing," Formby said. "We have chocolate and coconut homemade pies, strawberry cake. We try to keep the cooler full of that."

Brown said the owners are willing to let the restaurant develop according to what customers want. "During all this growth, we're willing to grow in whatever direction," he said. "Our mentality is this is where we start. We'll see where it goes."

The restaurant's success, they insist, depends on more than the owners. "If it weren't for our girls, even our waitresses, it wouldn't be," Formby said. "We have an excellent set of employees helping and doing, and the cooks."

Brown noted the diner maintains unusually long weekday hours. "We're open from six in the morning till 9 p.m. at night," he said.

Weekends, however, are intentionally reserved. "We are not open on weekends," Brown said. "We give our employees weekends off. They were wanting to do Sundays. We won't do Sunday. I was raised by a Baptist preacher. I just can't make folks work on Sundays. Come Sunday, we're in the church down there at Bethany in Spring Hill."

For Formby, operating the restaurant is also an investment in the community where she has spent her life. "I have lived in Patmos my entire life," she said. "I'm a Spring Hill graduate. This is where I have always been. This is where my kids were raised. My grandbabies are here."

Brown's connection extends back generations. "My family's from here originally," he said. "This has always been home, so this is where I came back to.

"The community, when they recognize something in an area that is not being frequented, and it's anything new, they're going to try it," Brown said.

Both Brown and Formby have been returning the affection the community has shown them throughout their lives. Brown said his plumbing company has supported the rodeo association, Hope Schools, cheerleaders and Chamber of Commerce events, while the family looks forward to supporting youth activities as their grandchildren become involved.

After finishing the interview, I stayed for lunch and ordered the day's special: fried catfish with hush puppies, fries, coleslaw and pinto beans.

The fish arrived with slices of raw onion and wedges of green tomato, a traditional accompaniment that fit perfectly with the meal. The coating carried just enough black pepper to wake up the palate without masking the flavor of the catfish itself, finishing with a satisfying crunch.

The hushpuppies struck the balance every Southern cook hopes for—crisp outside, moist inside with the mellow sweetness of cornmeal. The coleslaw had substance without relying on excessive sweetness, allowing the cabbage to remain the star.

For me, however, the standout was the bowl of slow-cooked pinto beans flavored with ham. I practically inhaled them and found myself wishing I could persuade the kitchen to part with the recipe.