Lynn Garden Restaurant

It's time for a walk down memory lane!

June 30, 2024, marks the 35th anniversary of the Kerney Family's ownership of the historic Lynn Garden Restaurant building! The restaurant is now the oldest restaurant in near-continuous operation in the same exact location in Kingsport! A restaurant has been in this same historic building since it opened in 1946, first as the Lynn Garden Grill, then as Lynn Garden Restaurant, and now as Full Belly Restaurant. Lynn Garden Restaurant switched to carry out only during the 2020-2021 time period, then for dine-in special events and special orders from 2022-2023, and were back to regular dine-in service in January 2024.

Visit sometime and enjoy part of Kingsport's history! Historic pictures of Kingsport, Southwest Virginia, and the Lynn View Athletics Hall of Fame pictures are still displayed throughout the historic building!

Now taking orders for Meringue Pies for Easter! Pick-up Friday or Saturday 3/29 or 3/30) only by appointment.

Call or text Keltie at 423-416-7407 to order!

We have an extra coconut pie available tonight! Call or text Keltie at 423-416-7407 to claim!

Welcome, Full Belly Restaurant !

Opening Friday, January 12, 2024,
11 am - 9 pm!

On December 17, 2023, we hosted a retirement celebration for Mike Kerney, Owner and Operator of Lynn Garden Restaurant since 1989. We celebrated Mike's more than 50 years of entrepreneurship and small business ownership in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.

The Kerney Family has long been a staple in the restaurant business in the area, dating back to the 1920s in Norton, Virginia, where Mike's great-grandfather, Mike Fekete, a Hungarian immigrant, owned and operated Mike's Cafe, a small, homestyle diner, credited with bringing the first hot dogs and chili to Wise County. In more recent years, since the early 1970s, the Kerneys operated the 7-12 Market, Campus Drive-In, Gateway, and Lynn Garden Restaurant. Six generations in the family (and many extended family members) have worked (or helped out! ☺️) in their restaurants, including the youngest, Mike's grandchildren.

Family.
We're so thankful that many family members were able to join in this celebration! Family has been at the heart of our family businesses and restaurants, going all the way back to Grandpa Fekete's Cafe. Mike shared many fond family business memories at the celebration...videos of that are coming up in a separate post.

Friends.
"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship." ~ Thomas Aquinas

We're thankful for all Mike's (and our) friends from all walks and seasons of life who joined with us to celebrate. It was amazing to have so many friends who are like family together at the same time. Mike remarked after the party, "I'm a lucky man to have so many friends who have supported me and our family for so many years. I'm truly humbled and blessed." 💓

Thank you so much for your friendships...it means the world to Mike (and us, too)!

Community.
Lynn Garden Restaurant, Lynn Garden Grill, Gateway, Campus, and the 7-12 Market were all more than just restaurants and businesses. They served as community hubs, gathering places for community groups, church meetings, friends and families (from birthday parties, wedding rehearsal dinners, funeral gatherings, retirement parties, and more), and, importantly, the hang out place for morning coffee and breakfast for so many people. Mike loved every one of his daily customers, some who came in three times a day! He's missed these folks so much and looks forward to being seated at the table with you now! Look out for breakfast and coffee invites soon to join him at the restaurant.

Mike's hanging up the full-time apron for now, but the family legacy will live on. The Kerney Family continues to own the Lynn Garden Restaurant building; we're happy to announce we've leased the restaurant and it will reopen soon! We will also continue to offer some of our specialities (desserts for sure!) around the holidays and for special occasions. And, we have some plans in the works to preserve the history and legacy of Lynn Garden Grill & Restaurant. This page will still be up, as it contains so much history about the restaurant and Lynn Garden Community. We'll continue to post here occasionally with updates, happenings, and community information.

A huge T H A N K YOU to all our loyal customers and friends who are like family. We love and cherish the community we built here and are thankful for your faithful support of our small family business. We look forward to seeing each of you soon again to dine at 1105 Lynn Garden Drive!

With our deepest appreciation,

Mike Kerney and Family