What Happened to Parkette Drive In After Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Current status
As of September 2026, Parkette Drive In has closed — confirmed via richmondregister.com, June 28, 2022.
Last verified
What the source shows: The Richmond Register reported on 2022-06-28 that the drive-in's lease holder confirmed an immediate, permanent closure after the business could no longer sustain itself outside the summer months.
- Season / episode Season 10, Episode 4
- Original air date
- Address 1230 E New Circle Rd, Lexington, KY 40505
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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Parkette Drive-In in Lexington, Kentucky, for its "Poor Boy" double-decker burger on the "You Found 'Em" episode, which aired 2010-09-20. The drive-in had operated at the same New Circle Road location since it opened on November 11, 1951, and had displayed its signature neon sign since 1957. According to the Richmond Register, lease holder Bryan Tipton said on 2022-06-28 that Parkette Drive-In had closed immediately, after the business did well each summer but struggled the rest of the year. The Richmond Register reported the sign itself would remain in place as a tribute to the property's history. A Yelp listing updated 2026-08 marks the restaurant as permanently closed. The Richmond Register reported the property had since been leased to a neighboring car dealership, while Tipton said he still hoped to preserve the drive-in's landmark neon sign in some form on the site.
Parkette Drive-In in Lexington, Kentucky appeared on the episode 'At the Drive-In' (S19E15). The restaurant is already profiled in this database at ddd-0363; this record covers only its appearance in this episode. No new status research was conducted for this appearance, and address, coordinates, and current operating status remain those on file under ddd-0363.
Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
- Original air date
- Episode title
- You Found ‘Em
- What was featured
- Parkette Drive-In's 'Poor Boy' burger on 'You Found 'Em'
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Parkette Drive In
- Show
- Food Paradise
- Season / episode
- Season 19, Episode 15
- Original air date
- Not confirmed
- Episode title
- At the Drive-In
- What was featured
- Longtime Lexington drive-in menu, revisited for this episode
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Parkette Drive In
Frequently asked questions
Is Parkette Drive In still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, Parkette Drive In has closed — confirmed via richmondregister.com, June 28, 2022.
What happened to Parkette Drive In after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Parkette Drive-In in Lexington, Kentucky, for its "Poor Boy" double-decker burger on the "You Found 'Em" episode, which aired 2010-09-20. As of September 2026, Parkette Drive In has closed — confirmed via richmondregister.com, June 28, 2022.
Is Parkette Drive In permanently closed?
As of September 2026, Parkette Drive In has closed — confirmed via richmondregister.com, June 28, 2022. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.
Where is Parkette Drive In located?
1230 E New Circle Rd, Lexington, KY 40505. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Parkette Drive In?
Season 10, Episode 4 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired September 20, 2010. The episode is titled “You Found ‘Em”.
Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.
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Visit info
- Address
- 1230 E New Circle Rd, Lexington, KY 40505
- Venue type
- diner
- Official website
- None found
- State hub
- TV restaurants in Kentucky
Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources
- richmondregister.com — https://www.richmondregister.com/kentucky/lexingtons-iconic-parkette-drive-in-closes/article_aed532f4-f70f-11ec-acea-e78f390b2c50.html
- Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/parkette-drive-in-lexington
- Google — https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Parkette+Drive-In+Lexington+KY
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Record ddd-0363 · last verified .