New family-run Centre County diner is paying it forward for those in need. Check out the menu
A new family-run diner hoping to give back to the community will soon open its doors in Centre County.
The Red Roost Diner plans to officially welcome customers starting Monday, Jan. 27, at 807 Pleasantview Blvd. between Bellefonte and Milesburg. The restaurant, owned by Holly and Jason “Sam” Smith, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week.
Diners can expect a wide-ranging menu full of diner favorites, including breakfast platters, sandwiches, cheesesteaks, pork chops, liver and onions and even spaghetti casserole. The Red Roost Diner will also offer special bowls, including a chicken and waffles bowl for breakfast and a chicken and gravy bowl for lunch.
The diner places an emphasis on home-cooked food, Holly Smith said, which makes the prospect of opening soon in Centre County even more meaningful.
“We bought a lot of new equipment, and we’ve been cleaning from top to bottom and putting our heart and soul into this little diner,” she wrote in an email to the Centre Daily Times.
The Smiths will open the Red Roost Diner with decades of culinary experience under their belts. Holly previously worked as a hairstylist with food service experience through Penn State, while Jason worked as a cook with Hoag’s Catering. But the bulk of Holly’s culinary experience, she says, came from cooking at home and spending time in the kitchen with her grandmother.
Centre County diners should recognize the Red Roost Diner’s site as the former home of Mr. Hot Dog & More, which closed in 2023 after nearly 40 years in business. The diner plans to honor its predecessor by serving faithful batches of Texas hot dogs and ham pot pie.
The Smiths hope the Red Roost Diner can do more for the Bellefonte-area community than simply satisfying appetites. They plan to launch a “hunger board” with meal tickets donated by other diners that will provide free meals to those in need.
“We have so many people who are struggling or homeless who don’t get a hot meal every night, and me and my husband want to help feed the hungry,” said Holly Smith, who added the restaurant has already received hundreds of Facebook comments from people wishing to support the hunger board initiative. “My grandmother always told me not to let anyone go to bed hungry or go without a meal if I can help it, so I’ve always tried to help others. Giving back like this feels great.”
Diners at the Red Roost Diner will be encouraged to purchase meal tickets to “pay it forward” and place vouchers on the hunger board for those who need them. Holly Smith said the restaurant had already sold a few meal tickets within the first few hours of its soft opening on Friday.
“I’ve been swamped since breakfast, 7 o’clock this morning,” she said. “We had four people waiting at the door when I got here today. Everybody’s been saying the food’s been great, and I’ve been slinging hot dogs out like crazy. It’s turning out pretty well already.”
The Red Roost Diner plans to officially open with hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day but Wednesday, Smith said. Those hours could expand as the restaurant finds its footing, especially during the fishing and hunting seasons.
Check out the restaurant’s Facebook page for updates as it prepares to officially open for business.
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