Cape Breton diner serves up success and delicious dishes for 70 years

Situated on the corner of Townsend and Mackenzie Streets in Sydney, N.S., Kay's Kozy Korner has been an institution in the community since 1952.

“We tell everybody about it. Everyone that comes from away, we say, ‘Go to the Kozy Korner! That's where you're going to get the best food,’” said customer Estelle Distle.

On Thursday, they were celebrating a major milestone -- marking 70 years of service.

“Business has stayed steady with everything that has happened over the past few years. It's really an honour for me to be a part of this,” said owner Jackie Slade.

Slade took ownership of Kay's 26 years ago from original owners Kay and Simon Haddad, and not much has changed since then. The interior, the food, and friendly service remains.

“Everything they taught me is what we continue to do. People say, ‘You should change this or that,’ but I say, ‘No, that this is the way Simon taught us,’” said Slade.

Margie Jobe has been dishing out the food at Kay’s for more than thirty years.

“It's the cozy diner experience that I don't think you get anymore,” said Jobe.

Jobe says the bond between staff and their customers is like family.

“Even the customers you pick up through the years, once they come, they keep coming. Today we had a couple come in for the first time and they said they'll be back,” she said

The popular diner opened its doors just seven years after the end of the Second World War.

A lot has changed since that time, and the business has faced many challenges, including pushing through the pandemic and dealing with flooding from recent storms.

“We came back from both, and just last week, we hired back our last girl that was laid off through COVID-19. Business picked up and our staff came back, so we're happy to have her onboard again,” said Slade.