Every day from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Kenmore Diner in Worcester opens its doors to those looking for a spot of breakfast or lunch.
Christon Paddock, the diner’s owner, describes the atmosphere as “bright,” with lights shining along the diner’s back wall. Music, a mix of vintage jazz, and smooth jazz, with a little bit of old blues thrown in, lilts through the room.
Customers who have been coming to the restaurant for more than 40 years come in, sit down and order their food.
But from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, when all the tables are cleaned, the diner is transformed from a bright, energetic restaurant for breakfast and lunch into a quiet, laid-back meeting spot where people can grab a cappuccino or a slice of layered chocolate cake.
The Night Cup is a new service offered at the Kenmore Diner, which was launched in January of this year.
Instead of serving bacon or sandwiches, the diner serves a selection of different desserts that are made in-house or come from its distributor, Modern Pastry Shop in Boston, according to Paddock.
Desserts included at The Night Cup include a layered chocolate cake, red velvet cake, tiramisu, a bomba cake—which is an Italian crumb cake with cannoli cream filling — macarons, almond biscotti and a weekly house fruit crisp.
“This week it will be a blueberry crisp,” Paddock told MassLive. “And that’s also made gluten-free because we use oats and [Rice Krispies] cereal.”
For those not into sweet things, The Night Cup also offers savory dishes to customers, such as bruschetta or a bowl of soup, Paddock said.
The desserts range from $7.95 to $9.95, while the savory dishes are $7, she said.
In addition to sweet and savory foods, The Night Cup offers special coffees such as mochas, espressos, cappuccinos and lattes. The coffees are priced at $4 to $5 according to Paddock.
Desserts offered at Worcester’s Kenmore Diner’s new service, The Night Cup. Courtesy: Christon PaddockChriston Paddock
The Night Cup has been open for about two weeks, with Paddock holding a soft launch in the last week of January.
She said business has been quiet so far, adding that people are not aware that the Kenmore Diner is now open later in the day. Still, Paddock is committed to the new addition to the diner.
“I would like it to grow because its a positive thing,” she told MassLive. “So if that means that its going to be a little bit slow growing, that’s OK—because I really do believe that this is something that our community needs.”
Paddock said the inspiration for opening The Night Cup came from Cafe Dolce, a restaurant on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street that has since been closed.
Paddock said that she would often go to Cafe Dolce, a place that she could always visit late at night, which was an alternative to a bar.
She said that people needed an alternative — a safe place where they could meet, have a cup of coffee and a slice of cake, and just talk.
“Having a place that’s a safe meeting place to speak to somebody or meet someone for a cup of coffee as a coffee date where you can hold a conversation because it’s not super loud,” Paddock said. “I think that’s an important thing. We don’t have too many choices in the area to have dessert and coffee.”
Desserts offered at Worcester’s Kenmore Diner’s new service, The Night Cup. Courtesy: Christon PaddockChriston Paddock
Paddock became the owner of the Kenmore Diner in 2024. She succeeded the diner’s previous owner, James “Jimmy” Yantsides, who had owned the diner for more than 50 years.
Paddock, who is friends with Yantsides wife, Pauline Yantsides, said none of the diner’s menu items were removed when she took over from Yantsides.
Instead, there have been additions to the menu, including new soups, new salads, new entrees such as Eggs Benedict, and the addition of french fries, which were not served when Yantsides ran the restaurant.
The diner also has daily lunch specials, such as meatloaf on Monday, roast chicken on Tuesday, and baked pasta with a choice of meatballs and sausage on Wednesday.
“My daughter tells me I go through phases of what I order for breakfast every day lately,” she said. “I’ve been having a bacon special with toast and cheddar scrambled eggs but the Greek Omelette is very good.”
For Paddock, the diner’s success is all thanks to its loyal customer base — some of whom have been ordering the same meals for more than four decades.
“There’s truly something for everyone,” she said.
The Night Cup at 250 Franklin St. is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
