BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 The Woolworth Luncheonette has served hungry Bakersfield customers classic burgers and fries since 1950.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe enjoyed it in the past. I\u2019ve grown up with Woolworth\u2019s. I used to love the diner,\u201d said Lake Isabella resident, Vickie Stacy.<\/p>\n
Woolworth\u2019s first lunch service on Monday saw a line of people out the door excited to see what the luncheonette has to offer.\u00a0Stacy came down to Bakersfield for an appointment but said she had to stop by Woolworth\u2019s for one thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHamburger! What else,\u201d she said laughing. \u201cWe wanted to see if they made any changes and what is coming up moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also shared what she hopes the new generation of Woolworth visitors take away since the opening.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey need to know their roots. So many of the young people don\u2019t understand that, and they need to know how things came about,\u201d Stacy. \u201cThis was the start of something that was really great and I\u2019m glad they\u2019re keeping it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Woolworth\u2019s and the attached coffee shop, Reverb, held their soft opening over the past few months. Regardless, the community has still been showing out strong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just the community all coming out to support, showing people that, you know, even after five years of being closed, they\u2019re still going to give it its support and, you know, Woolworth\u2019s it\u2019s a big part of Bakersfield history,\u201d said volunteer Jordan Baeza at Saturday\u2019s Woolworth block party.<\/p>\n
In Sept. 2021, longtime Bakersfield residents Emily and Sherod Waite bought the building hoping to keep its hip 1950s vibe open for the community.<\/p>\n
Dennis Leva, who was enjoying lunch, was ready to see the new renovations at the grand opening.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, they left a lot of stuff alone, especially the big sign. That\u2019s a blessing there, but it\u2019s going to be Bakerfield. So that\u2019s the main thing, is they tried to keep it Bakersfield,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
19th street was full of some retro fun over the weekend for the grand opening block party. Kern County bands played on stage and close to 60 vendors lined the streets, selling everything from antiques to vinyl records. The main event was trying to get a table inside the luncheonette.<\/p>\n
Hundreds lined up to get a taste of the classic diner food with the line wrapping down the street.<\/p>\n
Baeza described how long people were waiting to get inside the luncheonette. \u201cPeople have been here waiting, I overheard a lady say she\u2019s been waiting 2 hours to get in,\u201d he said with a large line of hungry customers behind him.<\/p>\n
Official hours for the luncheonette are being finalized but it\u2019s been opening for lunch around 11 a.m. The historic building is also looking for some cool cats to join their staff.<\/p>\n
You can find more information on how to apply at @historicwoolworths on Instagram.<\/p>\n
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