Wagga's iconic Ray Ray's Diner has changed hands and new boss Nancy Martinez, a former refugee, has recounted her inspiring journey into the role.
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Born in the central American country of El Salvador in the late 1980s, Ms Martinez found herself swept up in the country's civil war, which forced the family to flee to Guatemala.
"My mum was about seven months pregnant at the time and literally fled barefoot."
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Her grandmother, brother and other family members also left with them.
"After arriving in Guatemala we applied for refugee status," Ms Martinez said. "Originally we were accepted to go to Canada, but at the last minute we were accepted into Australia with the help of the Lutheran Bethlehem Church [in Wagga]."
After flying to Sydney, the family caught a plane direct to Wagga.
"When we arrived here, the church congregation came out to meet us and through the years they continued to support us," Ms Martinez said.
"Sadly now those people have all since passed away."
Ms Martinez and her fiance Jag Velagandula together with another couple recently purchased the business off former owner Jeanette Saxvik and she said it has been "an amazing opportunity."
The purchase came about after the four of friends got together and brainstormed ways to create a better future for themselves and their children.
"We were searching for a place, then Ray Ray's Diner basically fell in our hands and we jumped at the opportunity," Ms Martinez said.
She said it is an amazing chance for them, given their past.
"We're all born and bred overseas, so to have an opportunity like this here in Australia is a huge blessing for us, because not everyone gets that."
"My family has been through great struggles and I'm the first one to achieve something this big. But all credit goes to my family who raised me to be a hard worker," she said.
"As a child I dreamed of owning a clothing store and I always wanted to be my own boss one day."
Since taking over the American-themed diner, the new owners have changed things up in an effort to make the place a more family oriented, adding in a children's play area.
"We've added a lot of American confectionery and ice cream to bring the children in," Ms Martinez said.
This week, the diner will undergo another major change.
"Up until now, Ray Ray's has only operated as a café-style diner, but on Thursday we are holding the grand opening for our dinner menu," Ms Martinez said.
While the diner will continue its traditional trading hours of 7.30am - 2pm, it will now re-open from about 5pm - 8:30pm.
Ray Ray's Diner is part of a multi-stage $180 million project being undertaken by Wagga development firm Damasa to revitalise the area.
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