About us

The Diner is the latest in a long tradition of chili parlors and diners that have been operating continuously in our Main Street building for over 100 years. Owner Bonnie Amspacher is the fourth generation of a Norman family famous for its chili and great down-home Tex-Mex cooking. Her great-grandfather moved the Amspacher family to Norman, Oklahoma, during the Great Depression and opened the Southside Grocery, fondly remembered today by many Normanites. In 1989, Bonnie’s father Mark opened The Diner, featuring the award-winning chili in many dishes that The Diner carries on today.

Bonnie is an artist whose work you'll find displayed on our walls. The Diner is also decorated with a gallery of nostalgic fishing and chili cookoff photos, work by local artists, and memorabilia from past visits by Food Network hosts Guy Fieri and Ty Pennington. Bonnie carries on the family tradition that ''Food is Love.'' She works alongside a dedicated team to bring Norman the relaxed, friendly, warm and home-like setting that is The Diner.