For many University of Oregon students and Eugene residents, Mandy’s Family Restaurant is the go-to place for traditional American diner–style food. The establishment first opened on the corner of West 15th Avenue and Willamette Street in 2019, and is now known and adored for its 24-hour availability, as well as its community philanthropy.
Now, Mandy’s is expanding — a second location is being built on Franklin Boulevard, and is set to open later this spring.
According to Vali Bell, a waitress at Mandy’s since 2019, the new location should open shortly after Easter. The opening could be pushed back depending on construction.
The new building will be called “Mandy’s Diner” and focus on faster, easier diner food, with a limited bar, Bell said. The diner will be open 24/7, and Mandy’s Family Restaurant will reduce its hours. It will now close at around 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and continue to be open all night Thursday through Sunday.
The new building is decorated with Ducks green and yellow, and will be more “geared towards students,” Bell said. “It’s right there across from the Rive (student apartments), and all the sorority houses and fraternities are behind it.”
According to Bell, “it was time” to expand Mandy’s. The building containing Mandy’s Family Restaurant has been a restaurant since the 1960s, and is too old and small to accommodate for the crowds they’ve been getting in recent years.
“It’s an old, old building… It’s been run hard, so it needs a break,” Bell said. Changing the operating hours from 24/7 will give the lights and appliances time to rest, she said.
The diner building, which was previously Manola’s Thai restaurant, has been receiving new floors, paint and all new appliances.
Bell said that some of Mandy’s current employees will be moving to the new location, and some will stay at the original restaurant. The need for more staff will most likely provide job opportunities for UO students.
Some UO students are excited about the idea of a Mandy’s closer to campus, Lucia Donovan being one of them.
“I love Mandy’s,” Donovan said. “It’s fun because it has such a strong diner feel and there’s so many options too. The staff has always been super kind.”
Donovan said the distance to Mandy’s Family Restaurant makes it a rare occasion for her to visit, but the new diner is right next to her sorority and will allow her to go more.
“I could totally see it being a popular late-night place, especially because they’re open 24/7. That’s going to be huge for college students,” Donovan said.
Another student, freshman Ryan Staben, said he’s also excited for the new location to open. He said that the first time he went to Mandy’s, it was the day before his last final exam. He had been studying late in the science library and didn’t leave until 2:30 a.m.
“I had pounded out two essays and studied for an economics final for three and a half hours, and I was so hungry. I just looked for anything that was 24 hours and I saw Mandy’s, and I started walking towards it,” Staben said.
Staben got to the restaurant at 3 a.m, and said that it was much busier than he would have expected a restaurant to be that late. He is looking forward to another Mandy’s, and said that “closer to campus is very much a plus” after his long journey during finals week.
