No. 1: Doughburger/Lovick's Café

As anyone from around these parts will tell you, Kinston’s No. 1 Wonder — as voted upon by the readers of The Free Press and visitors to Kinston.com — is as big a part of Kinston as the Neuse River itself.

Lovick’s Café and its signature item, the Doughburger, was the overwhelming choice as the top wonder in The Free Press’ Seven Wonders of Lenoir County. The café features two dining rooms and a long bar where people of all economic conditions catch up with each other on the day’s events.

“Kinston is Lovick’s Café,” said the café’s co-owner, Steve Lovick. “When people come to Kinston, they know they have to come to the café. It’s been there 68 years and it’s going to be there for a long time.”

Lovick’s Café came into existence in 1941 when Lovick’s grandparents, Milton and Eva Lovick, borrowed $175 from Carl Koonce. Lovick’s grandparents had worked at Pulley’s Barbecue, which was on Herritage Street where the new Mother Earth Brewing is now located.

Looking for a signature item to sell at the new café, Lovick and Koonce invented the Doughburger.

“They were just trying to figure out a way to stretch the hamburger and stretch their money,” Lovick said. “Carl Koonce and my granddaddy came up with this idea to put hamburger in a pot with some flour, onions, salt, pepper and water. They came up with that creation and here we are 68 years later.”

Lovick said the café typically sells around 400 Doughburgers a day; he estimates that several million have been sold in nearly seven decades. There are customers so addicted to its doughburgery goodness that Lovick said he’ll have customers come in and order dozens at a time.

“They’ll come in and order 24; they want us to make them, freeze them so they can carry them back with them to Texas, California, New York, wherever they came from,” Lovick said with a laugh. “It’s been that way for years. They’ll come in and say, ‘I’m leaving on Tuesday morning. I need you to make me up two or three dozen patties to take home with me.’

“They’ll take ‘em home, put them in their microwaves and they can have a Doughburger in New York City.”

The café is still in the original spot it was 68 years ago, when it could only serve 15 people at a time. It has gone through some renovations, including a major one three years ago that now allows it to serve up to 140 customers at a time. Lovick said his café will continue to keep up with the times, including possibly opening a banquet and meeting room that will seat 50 in the back of the restaurant. There will also be a week-long celebration of the café in January, Lovick said, that will include Doughburger and Pepsi specials.

Lovick co-owns the café with his sister, Susan. Her son, Greg Turner, has shown an interest in eventually taking over the venerable establishment.

“There might be another era of the Lovick’s Café family,” Lovick said. “He might not be a true Lovick by last name, but he will be a family member that hopefully continues the Lovick tradition.”

Lovick said he was truly honored by the votes of Free Press readers and Kinston.com visitors in naming his café Lenoir County’s top wonder. What made the recognition especially meaningful was the fact that Lovick’s father, Mac Lovick, passed away in August. Mac Lovick had been a part of the café since its inception.

“It’s been tough without my dad; he was a focal point of Herritage Street,” Lovick said, with emotion shaking his voice. “We want to continue to thank the folks for all the comments and cards in support of us after his passing. This truly means a lot to us.”

Bryan C. Hanks can be reached at 252-559-1074 or at bhanks@freedomenc.com. Check out Bryan’s blog at bhanks.encblogs.com.

The Free Press is unveiling the Seven Wonders of Lenoir County, as nominated and voted on by visitors to Kinston.com.

Monday — No. 7: Athletic fields at South Lenoir High School
Tuesday — No. 6: Neuseway Nature Center
Wednesday — No. 5: Neuse Sport ShopThursday — No. 4: CSS Neuse II
Friday — No. 3: Paulette Burroughs
Saturday — No. 2: Historic Grainger Stadium
Today — No. 1: Doughburger/Lovick’s Café