A Walk Through History by Justin Lamb (Sponsored by Four Pigs Restaurant)

Remembering the Kentucky Maid Restaurant

Written by Justin D. Lamb

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The Kentucky Maid in the 1970s.

(Courtesy of Brian Sims)

“Food is Our Business” was the slogan proudly boasted by the Kentucky Maid restaurant for over thirty years as it served some of the best food in the area at the junction of U.S HWY 68 and 641 in Draffenville.

The Kentucky Maid was founded in 1961 by Raymond and Rozell Morris and quickly became a popular eatery among tourists and locals alike. By the 1970s, the Maid was purchased by Ovie and Mary Sims who has previously operated the Noble Park Dairy Queen in Paducah. The restaurant became a family affair as the Sims’ daughter and grandsons joined them working at the popular eatery. “My brother and I were in the restaurant every day,” recalled Brian Sims. “He stayed in the kitchen and I took care of the coffee shop out front.”

The restaurant was open 5am to 10pm seven days a week and was the favorite watering hole for many people in the region. “Broasted chicken is definitely what we were known for,” recalled Sims. “I used to cut 350 to 450 pounds per week,” he recalled. The Maid also had a banquet room which was used for private parties by businesses and individuals. Several local civic clubs including the Lions and Rotary clubs used the Kentucky Maid as their meeting place for many years.

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Top: Kentucky Maid owner Ovie Smith behind the counter at Kentucky Maid.

Bottom: Mary Sims made all of the pies and cakes homemade at the Kentucky Maid.

(Courtesy of Brian Sims)

The Kentucky Maid also had several special guests who would visit as well. “When Kaintuck Territory was in full swing sometimes the entertainers would stop in and grab a bite to eat or drink a cup of coffee,” Sims remembered. “Marty Robbins, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, and Porter Wagoner all visited the Maid on different occasions.”

The Sims family eventually sold the restaurant in 1983 to Van Sledd who operated it until 1995 when the restaurant and property was sold to Arby’s restaurant. Though it has been gone for over twenty years, many people in the area still have fond memories of the Kentucky Maid restaurant.