As the crowd gathers around the coffee table at Ember's Restaurant, there is one seat that will remain empty. That seat belongs to Glen Smith, the owner and operator of the hotel and restaurant since in inception. Since his death in October 1997, his daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Mike Worley, have been serving guests with quality and devotion.
In 1968, Glenn Smith opened what would be the first of his many entrepreneur interests, the Diamond Drive Inn. Ever ambitious, a little more than a year later, he opened Kwik Check grocery store next door and provided the area with their first self-serve gas pumps. He then started his career as an individual hoteler in 1978 by constructing a 38 room motel behind the Diamond Drive Inn and building the motel lobby onto the drive in. As his success and that of his businesses grew, in the early 80’s, he expanded the motel by adding a 14 room wing and reconstructed the old grocery store. The Diamond Drive Inn then underwent a vast change. It was moved to the old store and renamed Ember’s Restaurant. Upon Glenn’s passing in 1997, Glenn’s daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Mike Worley, set-out to continue his tradition of “good food, good service and good Company”! For years, Glen had talked about going completely independent from the brand hotel name and in 2014, Debbie and Mike took the steps needed and changed the name to The Winnfield Lodge. Over the years, the motel and restaurant have become a favorite place for visitors and locals alike. Today the restaurant sits back where it all began and whether you are stopping to chat in the lobby or sitting down for a delicious meal in the restaurant, The Winnfield Lodge and Ember’s Restaurant are still steeped with the traditions that Glenn had set many years ago.