In 1987, Kermit’s opened its doors to Bowling Green.

Kermit’s, a family-owned restaurant located on Main Street, welcomes members of the community of Bowling Green and students, said Jim Mass, owner of the small diner.

Mass commented on the variety of his customers.

‘We see a lot of community members throughout the week that meet for lunch and supper, but we also see a lot of students in here on the weekends for breakfast,’ Mass said.

Kermit’s also attracts hungry patrons from out of town. Two frequent visitors are Pat Jay and Pam Basinger, sisters from Findlay and University graduates.

‘We started coming to Kermit’s over a year ago,’ Jay said. ‘On average we come here once a week. This is a family-friendly place with a lot of friendly people that offers a wide menu and reasonable prices.’

Jay said she likes that Kermit’s is local instead of just another fast food restaurant.

‘It’s nice to support a small business owner and this is a place that reminds me of an old-fashioned restaurant,’ she said. ‘It’s a lot like a place I would go to when I was younger.’

Basinger said she enjoys Kermit’s as much as her sister.

‘It’s different from the chain restaurants we go to,’ she said. ‘Here, we know most of the waitresses by name and most importantly the food is good.’

One of Kermit’s waitresses is Brittney Snow. Snow, who has been working at Kermit’s for about a year and a half, said she enjoys her work for a couple of different reasons.

‘I get to interact with a variety of people, like students and community members, most of them are friendly,’ Snow said. ‘And the atmosphere here is great. It’s a very welcoming place.’

Along with the friendly people and spirit, Mass said Kermit’s has even more to offer.

‘I think we give our customers the most value for their money,’ he said. ‘We also have the best breakfast in town.’

Snow said many customers take advantage of their breakfast during the weekend, which is when she regularly works.

‘On the weekends we are very busy,’ she said. ‘There is usually a line outside the door.’

Snow said business during the week is a little more calm, but there is still a steady flow of families who come in for a nice, quiet dinner.

Mass said Kermit’s has been a restaurant off and on since 1945, when it was operating under the name Rickett’s, after then-owner and University alumnus Bill Rickett.

Mass, who named the restaurant Kermit’s after his deceased father-in-law, has owned the restaurant since 1987. He said he also honors his father-in-law by the way he has decorated the diner.

‘All of the old tools you see on the walls were my father-in-law’s and he actually used them all at one time,’ Mass said. ‘I thought they would be a nice touch to the restaurant.’