Louie’s Diner, a hot spot for food located in the University Residence South building, closed down after the fall semester. It’s closure followed after sorority members who lived in URS previously moved into the Bess Furman Armstrong hall in January.
Riley Cope, a senior at UNK and also a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, is saddened by the news.
“I knew it was going to be closing down, but I wasn’t exactly sure when,” Cope said.
Louie’s Diner served a variety of made-from-scratch food for staff and students to enjoy. They would serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and even stay open late some nights.
“It was a decision made by UNK with them bringing all of the sorority and fraternity houses to the other side of campus,” said Erin Harrison, the general manager of UNK dining services. “That unit seemed to not be used anymore.”
Cope said she liked the convenience of the diner’s location.
“Louie’s Diner was one of my favorite places to go on campus for food,” Cope said. “I have so many great memories with my friends from when we would grab lunch together. They also had great breakfast, and it was just a great spot to sit and chat.”
Some of the most popular items on the menu according to UNK students were their breakfast casserole, rocky road cupcakes, nacho bar and their custom-ordered personalized pizzas.
“I also loved it because it was a popular place but wasn’t super busy all of the time,” said Ava Brummer, a freshman member of Alpha Phi sorority. “So many great memories were made in that diner, but now it is time to make new ones somewhere else.”
Since students will no longer have Louie’s as a choice to eat, they will now have to rely on the other on-campus dining options.
Inside the Nebraskan Student Union, fast food options include Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and Subway.
The main dining hall located upstairs of the NSU will most likely become the replacement for the students who liked to eat at Louie’s Diner.
“I am really sad because of course I like The Graze, but to me, Louie’s Diner was just 10 times better in my opinion,” Brummer said.
Since the closing of Louie’s Diner, The Graze has had a large increase in the number of students coming through to grab food.
“We have seen an increase of about 150 students per meal here at The Graze since the shutdown of Louie’s,” Harrison said.
As of right now, there are plans for a new dining service that is in the works being constructed along with the new University of Nebraska Medical Center building across campus.
The new UNMC building is predicted to be done in 2026.
“There will be an entire dining hall, cafe, and even a convenience store inside,” Harrison said.
