FEATURE STORY
Family Affair
Downtown D’lites celebrates 10th anniversary as community hub BY LUCAS STROUGH | lstrough@kilgorenewsherald.com PHOTOS BY LUCAS STROUGH
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owntown D’lites, a well-loved purveyor of handmade salads, sandwiches and more, has a long history in downtown Kilgore. That history is much deeper than the food they serve that is so well-loved by Kilgoreites. The restaurant celebrated 10 years in business on Feb. 1. “Oh my, it is with grateful hearts that we look back and realize we have been there this long.” Owner Debbie VanDoren said. “When we first had the idea to buy D'Lites from our friends back in 2011, that idea must have come from God, because owning a restaurant was nothing we had any experience in whatsoever! I have always loved making food and loved people, so the two loves have combined into our D'Lites experience well.” The restaurant first opened as Downtown D’Lites Frozen Yogurt Bar and Café and was first opened by Larie Hurton and her father, Gary Beasley. 12 Etcetera | Spring 2022
At the site, the former location of Nanny Goats Café, the new owners enlisted the help of family members as the restaurant grew, adding a lunch menu and eventually a made-to-order selection of salads, wraps and more. Just a year into its existence, the co-owners opted to spend more time with their family and put the building up for sale. Debbie’s husband Alan suggested they buy it and start a new venture. “When Alan and I first bought D'Lites from the Beasley/Hurton families, we had no specific plans on how long we would do this… and we still do not… our plan is simply to keep running D'Lites as long as we feel that is where God wants us to be. And thus we are grateful that He still has us here in downtown Kilgore,” Debbie said. The downtown Kilgore of 2022 is not the same as it was 10 years ago. Many downtown merchants have come and gone,
