The Copley family has roots in the iconic Spare-Time Grill in Alexandria, which is precisely why they decided to get it up and running again.
The original Spare-Time Grill opened in 1958 and is considered a landmark within the city. The building, with multiple neon signs, is a reminder of 1950s-style diners. Lou Lou’s Café operated out of Spare-Time from 2020 until its closing in February, leaving the community unsure of what was next for the restaurant.
“I used to work here from the time I was 14 to 21-22,” said Jessica Copley. “When I was in middle school, I would walk from the (Campbell County) middle school down here and work. In the summertime, we’d stay open late, and I’d do the soft serve.”
When Jessica Copley worked at the diner, Jason Copley, her now husband, would come in when they were dating in high school, and she would serve him burgers.
About a month ago, Jason Copley said the family was taking a cruise down U.S. 27 when they saw a for-lease sign in front of the diner and thought, “Man, it’d be crazy if we had that.”
A couple of weeks later, the Copley’s had family from Nashville come visit. They own restaurants there and said they encouraged them to look at the space. Jason Copley said his uncle pushed him to go for it.
“All these little pieces just fit together, and I kept talking to my wife, and I was like, ‘We should do this,’” Jason Copley said. “I work for a very large company. It’s a Fortune 400 company; I have a very good job. So, I’m leaving my very good job to do this. The 12th (of June) is my last day at work.”
Hailey Copley, Jessica, and Jason’s daughter, said she recalls when she was little, coming to the diner and eating at the end of the counter with her grandpa and cousins after attending church at St. Mary’s.
The family intends to keep the iconic building’s look, with minor renovations here and there. They have been cleaning, painting and installing new countertops. They are also bringing soft-served ice cream back and plan to serve it out the front window as Spare-Time did back in the day.
Per the community request, Spare-Time will return its “Spare Burger.” The Copley’s described the burger as similar to Frisch’s Big Boy. Other food items include crinkle-cut fries, onion rings, wings, and Philly Cheesesteaks. They also plan to have things like corndogs and chicken tenders for kids.
“We want to know how the community feels about things, and we always want to ask their opinion to see ‘hey, are there certain things you would like us to do or certain foods you want,’” said Hailey Copley. “Just giving options to the community to see what they think because not everybody thinks alike; some people like different things, and we want to see what the majority of everybody thinks would be good.”
They are planning items like goetta, eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
“We want to focus on simple things first, get us established, get people coming in, and then slowly work to add more over time,” said Jason Copley. “It’s pretty much going to be American diner food.”
The restaurant is a family endeavor, and each member intends to work there in some capacity. The Copleys said they want to give the community back Spare-Time.
“It’s very nerve-wracking, but we as a family want to have spare time, open back up,” Jason Copley said. “We want to let the community know that Spare-Time is here to stay, and we want this to be a community place just like how it used to be.”
The Copleys said they hope to have the diner up and running in the first week of July. When the diner reopens it will also include outdoor seating.
“Thank you to the community for all the support that they’ve given us,” Hailey Copley said. “People drive down the street, and they start honking and waving. Every day, we have people coming up to us ‘Are you guys open yet?’ It really lets us know the community really wants us, and it’s a good feeling to have, and we really want to give it back to the community.”