The owners of a brand new restaurant on the edge of Kilgore’s city limits say they expect to open the doors before the end of the year.

Owner Dr. Jerry Ted Roberts said he and his partners, son-in-law Brian Hatchett and Ali Sharaf, are investing about $1 million to build and open a Denny’s restaurant at Gateway Travel Plaza on Hwy. 42 at I-20. Roberts said Sharaf is involved with several Denny’s in the Dallas area.

“We’re going to own the real estate and lease to a Denny’s franchisee who will operate it, Earle K. Verner,” Roberts said. He said Verner has been with Denny’s for about 10 years and is looking forward to moving to Kilgore and becoming involved in community activities.

The 5,000-square-foot facility will seat 140 and is already under construction in the parking lot in front of the 14,000-squarefoot Gateway Travel Plaza, which opened in October 2008. Built by KCS Associates in Dallas, the restaurant exterior will be a combination of two-tone brick, rock and stucco.

The travel plaza includes a Wendy’s restaurant, Shell gas station, convenience store and Bank Texas branch.

Roberts said the restaurant will offer the newest menu the franchise has to offer, which includes a full-page senior citizens menu with specials for customers 55 and older.

“Their menu is tremendous,” Roberts said of Denny’s. “We have been real impressed with their new menu and it offers big discounts to seniors. And, yes, the Grand Slam is still there.”

The restaurant will be open 24 hours a day, as is the travel plaza, he said.

“We hope the Denny’s is going to energize that intersection even more,” he said. “Anything that gets people off the interstate will help everyone out there.”

The plaza’s commercial truck parking has been expanded from 20 to 50 spaces, with plenty of parking available for cars and pickups, as well, Roberts said.