New Chapter for Dino’s Restaurant
A beloved Downtown Elizabethton tradition is beginning a new chapter as Dino’s Restaurant officially welcomes Lydia Depew and the Depew family as its new owners. Main Street Elizabethton and the Carter County/Elizabethton Chamber of Commerce hosted a joint ribbon-cutting today to celebrate the transition and recognize the restaurant as a cornerstone of the downtown community.
For 63 years, Dino’s has been a familiar gathering place in Downtown Elizabethton, serving generations of customers and creating memories around the table alongside good food and a tradition of hospitality. The first lasagna in East Tennessee was served when Dino’s opened in 1963. The restaurant is a downtown staple and represents the kind of locally rooted business that makes Elizabethton special.
For Lydia, taking ownership of Dino’s is more than a business opportunity. It is the continuation of a story she has been part of for years. She first joined the restaurant as a server in 2019 while it was owned by the Williams family and began building relationships with customers and developing a deep appreciation for the restaurant’s history, recipes, and traditions.
Now, as owner alongside her family, Lydia is committed to preserving what has made Dino’s special while creating new memories and opportunities for the restaurant’s future.
“Dino’s has always been about more than the food. It’s about the memories, the people, and the traditions that have made this restaurant such a special part of our community,” said Lydia Depew. “We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to carry the Dino‘s legacy forward. My family and I are committed to honoring the history and recipes that people know and love, while bringing new life to Dino’s and making memories of our own. We are excited for this next chapter and look forward to welcoming everyone back to the table. Thank you for the continued support.”
Lydia’s journey from server to owner reflects her dedication to the restaurant and the people it serves. Her passion for Dino’s and its customers, paired with the support of her family, brings a meaningful hometown connection to this next chapter.
“Dino’s is the perfect example of downtown’s tagline, ‘Old Soul, New Stories,’” said Courtney Bean, Director of Main Street Elizabethton. “It has a history and tradition tied to the make up of our downtown, and it’s a place so many people associate with memories and time together. We’re excited to see the Depews carry that legacy forward while bringing their own vision and energy to downtown. Dino’s is a special place in our downtown, and we’re proud to celebrate this new chapter together.”
As Lydia and the Depew family take the reins, the mission of Dino’s remains the same: serve the community, welcome familiar faces, and make room for new memories.
Dino’s Restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Stop by, enjoy Dino‘s delicious Italian-inspired dishes, and congratulate Lydia and her family on this exciting new chapter.
