Shepard’s Diner opens doors in former Lyndora Hotel
A new, locally owned restaurant has opened its doors in the former Lyndora Hotel.
Shepard’s Diner, the first new tenant of the former hotel, held its grand opening Thursday morning, Oct. 15 — a little over a week since it first opened for business Oct. 7.
According to the restaurant’s menu, it serves a variety of breakfast items, flatbreads, sandwiches, burgers and more.
The building’s owner, Joe Gray of Ashlar Architecture & Engineering, said he is relieved to finally be able to move tenants into the property. He purchased the building in May 2025 for $249,000 and completed renovations over the last year.
“As an entrepreneur, you take risks when it comes to buying property. But I think we’ve found a good tenant with Bill Frye and Shepard’s Diner,” he said.
Frye is also the owner of the Firehouse Subs franchise at 620 Butler Crossing in Butler Township, Gray said.
Matt Perry, Shepard’s Diner’s executive chef, said the first few days of business had been a mixed bag, but overall positive in terms of number of customers.
“There are definitely still some growing pains from settling in, but it’s been good so far overall,” he said.
He said the restaurant has already seen a cohort of regulars begin to form. As of Tuesday, Oct. 12, some people had already visited three or four times.
Perry said his goal with the menu was to offer a range of “diner food” with a specific focus on breakfast items. However, he said he was surprised when burgers ended up being one of the most popular items.
“We make everything from scratch. There’s no microwave in the kitchen. We’re also choosing to go with healthier options like frying our food in beef tallow,” he said.
The bar and restaurant previously located in the building was owned by the Pawk family from 1947 to 2023. When the building was finished in the early 1900s, it served as a hotel for travelers doing business at area steel mills.
On Sept. 6, 2023, the Pawk family officially closed the restaurant and bar and sold the business’s liquor license to Sheetz in Harrisville.
According to previous Butler Eagle reports, Mike Pawk owned the business with his siblings, who said they tried to sell the business and license to continue its legacy in Butler, but had no luck.
Three years later, Gray said he hopes Shepard’s Diner isn’t just a boon for him, but rather for Lyndora as a whole.
“I think the impact is huge,” he said about moving tenants into the building. “It wasn’t my focus, but I think with this and the recreational fields, things are improving. The hotel closing was a low point, but that means there was nowhere but up.”
More information and the menu for Shepard’s Diner is available on its website, www.shepardsdiner.com.
