A restaurant with a 60-year history of serving diner food in Dallas announced plans today to open a new location on Central Expressway at Park Lane. Norma’s Cafe is taking the space in Caruth Plaza formerly occupied by Souper Salad.
Norma’s opened its original location in Oak Cliff in 1956. Founder Norma Manis, who with her children also owned Mama’s Daughters Diner in the Design District, sold her namesake restaurant to former customer Ed Murph in 1986.
Since then, Murph has opened two other Norma’s, one in Farmers Branch and one in Frisco. Under Murph’s leadership, Norma’s Cafe also focuses on giving back to the communities they serve. The cafes serves free dinners to anyone who wants one on Thanksgiving day, and the restaurants raise thousands of dollars for neighborhood schools nonprofits every year.
The newest Norma’s Cafe is expected to open as soon as May, and it will employ about 60 people.