From Drake to Fox

Ma Drake’s Cafe is back, only now the hot pink diner on Fayetteville’s south side is Fox’s Diner.

The cafe, a longtime landmark in Fayetteville known for its plate lunches, mile-high homemade pies and distinctive pink exterior, closed last fall following the death of proprietor and chief cook Vida Drake.

Jerome and Janis Fox leased the building for a year with an option to buy and spent the last two months degreasing, polishing and painting the place. They recently reopened as Fox’s Diner.

The couple’s daughter, Patti, moved from Colorado to help out. They’ve expanded the hours, opening at 6 a.m. each day, and added to the menu, but, the plate-lunch that Drake’s served up so well remains a stable. The couple’s daughter, Patti, moved from Colorado, where she had worked in restaurants for 10 years, and she’s now baking fresh pies daily.