When Nick Mikelis took over the Breakfast Queen, a greasy-spoon diner at 3743 Federal Blvd. in Denver's Highland neighborhood, he returned to the restaurant his wife's uncle bought in 1982 where he served as the first cook.
He renamed the establishment
Nick's Diner, cleaned the place up, spruced up the outside and changed the menu.
"As soon as we put the new sign up, business went up hill and keeps going up," says Mikelis, who took over the Lighthouse Co. restaurant in 1984 and operated it for more than nine years before being forced out of the building at 1801 Welton St. "I always liked this neighborhood. When the opportunity arose, I jumped at it."
Nick's Diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and specializes in traditional Mexican and Greek breakfast fare. New to the menu are paninis and pasta, as well as special deals for senior citizens and children -- on Mondays between 4 and 5 p.m. kids eat free so long as an adult orders a meal and a drink.
Still in store for the restaurant is a new paint job on the interior, though the booths and chairs will remain the same.
"The restaurant is outdated," Mikelis says. "That’s why we made the sign the way we did with the 1950s feel."
Contact Confluence Denver Development News Editor Margaret Jackson with tips and leads for future stories at margaret@confluence-denver.com.
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