Mel’s Diner Announces Johnston Street Renovations, Set to Reopen Later This Summer

A Lafayette staple is on its way back as Mel's Diner on Johnston Street announced renovations have begun.

The iconic diner closed indefinitely late last summer after a kitchen fire caused major damage. The fact that the fire happened in the middle of the pandemic spelled an uncertain future for the diner, but a post on the official Mel's Diner Lafayette page revealed that the restaurant would be back later this year.

A more "official" post soon followed with a shiny graphic that let the locals know that Mel's was bouncing back.

Based on the replies, people were excited to see one of their favorite local spots slated to return this August.

Personally, Mel's has always had a place in my heart as a DJ who has worked too many late nights to remember but could always count on Mel's to be open at 3 a.m. when the dancefloor was cleared and everyone else had gone home.

Servers and waitresses like Annette, Tat, April, and many others are like local celebrities for the energy and love that you could expect when you walked through those doors at any given time in the 24-hour diner (not to mention, they know ALL of Lafayette's deepest secrets).

By the way, I spoke with Annette personally and she assured me that she will be there when Mel's reopens and that she "can't wait" to see us all again.

Keep up with Mel's on their official Facebook page as they have promised to keep us posted with updates on their progress and look forward to the continued support from their Lafayette community.

In the meantime, let's mark our calendars for August and imagine that first plate of Wets.