BENTONVILLE, Ark. — After the Memorial Day weekend tornadoes destroyed a beloved Rogers staple three months ago, the former Susie Q Malt Shop crew has found a new home.
The crew opened Goldie's Grill in Northwest Arkansas Community College's (NWACC) Becky Paneitz Student Center on Aug. 19.
"It feels great to be back to work and in our routine that we're used to," Jeana Lynn-Miller, the former manager of the historic malt shop, said. Lynn-Miller was the would-be future owner of Susie Q, had the tornadoes not blown away the historic building in downtown Rogers.
On the soft opening day, Goldie's Grill served NWACC employees burgers, shakes, floats, ice cream, and hot dogs.
Susie Q on 2nd Street in Rogers had been operating for 64 years before the May 26 storms. Lynn-Miller, who had been with Susie Q for over 16 years, was seen crying over the sign after storms knocked it over.
Lynn-Miller's mom owned Susie Q for 22 years and she planned to take over soon to keep the beloved restaurant in the family.
Although things turned out differently, Lynn-Miller is continuing the legacy through a different but similar restaurant alongside her mother and sister.
"It's similar, but there are definitely differences," Lynn-Miller said. "With the hotline, we have more. It's ready to go, so that way if they're ready for lunch, it's quick and easy."
Lynn-Miller said several parts of the menu will stay the same such as the burgers, the super chicken, the signature curly fries, and all the classic flavors of shakes and malts. Unfortunately, they will no longer serve the famous fried pickles.
They did, however, add breakfast to the menu and now serve breakfast sandwiches.
"We still got our signature curly fries because we're the only place in Northwest Arkansas that they get ordered for," Lynn-Miller said. "We have crinkle cuts and tater tots. We still got jalapeno coins, corn nuggets, the funnel cake fries, still kept all of our classic flavors for shakes and malts. We're pretty much the same, but different."
One stark difference is the new name. Lynn-Miller said the new restaurant is named after her mother.
"One of her nicknames is Goldie, and she's had that nickname forever because she had Goldilocks and the Three Bears," Lynn-Miller said. "We named it after our mama. She's the one that was the magic of the place."
Lynn-Miller said people are responding well to the revamped business.
"Feedback has been great. I haven't had any complaints whatsoever so far," she said. "We're just ready for the public. We're ready for our regulars. We miss them so much, so much. The kids are great. They're so polite, but we miss our regulars."
For former regulars who do decide to visit, Lynn-Miller said the restaurant is situated between the bookstore and the coffee shop in the student center. The easiest place to park is in the parking garage next to the student center. All non-specific parking spots are free and up for grabs.
"You park in the parking garage, come straight in, and we'll be here with our smiling faces to serve you," Lynn-Miller said.
Goldie's is open to students and the public Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Friday, the restaurant closes at 1 p.m. Lynn-Miller said the hours could change in the future.
Although things are looking up for Lynn-Miller and her family, she said she still misses her regulars.
"I can't stress it enough, we miss our regulars so much," she said. "We had so many regulars. They'd walk up and we'd know their order ... We haven't really been able to see anybody, so it feels good to be back to work."
Goldie's Grill
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