Gus’s Keystone Family Restaurant opened in place of the former Ephrata Diner Tuesday.
It’s the second Gus’s operated by Gus Kourgelis, who launched operations at 6 a.m. Tuesday at the popular former Epharata Diner location at 3687 Rothsville Road.
The other is at 1050 W. Main St. in Mount Joy. Unlike the 24-hour Ephrata Diner, Gus’s weekday hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. It’s open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
First reported on The Ephrata Review’s Facebook page, the word spread quickly Tuesday and drew a tremendous response.
News that Gus’s had replaced the Ephrata Diner appeared to surprise almost everyone.
In fact, it generated the second largest reach and reaction on The Ephrata Review’s social media pages. In less than six hours the news reached more than 8,000, garnered 112 likes, 100 shares, and drew 70 comments.
Some lamented the loss of the Ephrata Diner. Many praised the change &tstr; especially those loyal to Gus’s in Mount Joy.
Still plenty more reacted to the diner no longer being a 24-hour eatery.
By 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, the news on Facebook of the new Gus’s reached 15,864 &tstr; almost double The Ephrata Review’s circulation &tstr; and had 224 likes, 145 shares, and 103 comments.
Jamie Shaner summed up the feeling of many who were sad to lose another 24-hour diner in Lancaster County.
“Glad it’s going under some changes but they should’ve kept the hours the same,” Shaner responded. “The ‘24 hour’ is what brought the most business and made it the landmark that it is in Ephrata.”
The change leaves less 10 all-night diners operating in Lancaster County, something not lost on Stacey Racing.
“Running out of 24-hour diners in Lancaster County,” she noted. “Oh, I guess I answered it myself: It’s Lancaster County.”
Jen Stephens, an Ephrata High School grad, who has moved from the area, was one of the multitudes of “likes.”
“Looking forward to trying it on my visit in a few weeks,” Stephens wrote.
Look for a full review soon of Gus’s Keystone Diner and join the conversation with your neighbors at The Ephrata Review Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheEphrataReview
Patrick Burns is a staff writer for The Ephrata Review. He welcomes your questions and comments and can be reached at pburns.eph@lnpnews.com or at 721-4455.