COVINGTON, Okla. (KFOR) — The shake machine spins, the grill sizzles, and the fryer pops along Highway 74.
The order window is open again through Sunday. Jorden Martin is there to take the orders.
"We've been in the restaurant business over 20 years," she relates.
Her husband Nick runs the back of the house. They actually met while working at the same restaurant.
The Martins spent years dreaming about opening their own place.
The Covington Dairy Sweet, closed for 8 years, presented their best chance and going independent.
"This was the dream," we offer?
"Yeah," Jorden responds, "to start a place on our own."
They almost bit off more than they could chew.
The old Sweet needed just about everything.
It took 2 ½ years of patient work, but in August 2024 they opened up and watched as highway travelers, Covingtonians, and even city folk found their way to a diner that had been a fixture here since 1961.
"I think we're nervous, but excited for what the future holds," she continues.
The menu is classic diner fare.
The Okie Burger comes with fried onions.
The BBQ Ranch Burger and Steakburger, in fact all the beef they serve, comes fresh from a cattle operation just up the road.
"You see that cow?" chides Jorden. "That's next week's hamburger."
It took longer, the work is harder, but it's theirs.
For Nick and Jorden re-opening the Dairy Sweet makes for an extra delicious Labor Day weekend, one they'll always remember.
"We're going to make it happen one way or another," says the Martins. "There's no stopping us now."
The Covington Dairy Sweet is open Tuesday through Saturday 11a.m. to 7p.m.
For more information go to their Facebook page here.
Great State is sponsored by Oklahoma Proton Center
