Our Story

The story behind 109

A new act in an old theater.

Same Great Building.
New Memories.

The historic Lee Theater stage and its ornate proscenium, from the photograph displayed in the restaurant. — The Lee Theater, remembered on our walls.

Before the breakfast plates and coffee cups, there was a silver screen.

The Lee Theater opened in 1927, after Lee Jones transformed the Crancer Hardware building into a movie house. Its grand stage, curtains, and balcony brought a little movie-palace magic to Clinton.

Years later, Square 109 made this address a familiar breakfast and lunch stop. Its movie posters and Hollywood portraits paid tribute to the building’s earlier life. Lankford’s 109 carries that tradition into its next chapter.

Read the local newspaper’s story

1927

The Lee Theater

A hardware building becomes a movie house on Washington Street.

The Square 109 years

A hometown table

Breakfast, lunch, and familiar faces take their place in the old theater.

January 2026

Lankford’s 109

Troy and Dena Ryan begin the next chapter of homestyle cooking.

Right here in Clinton

Make a morning of the Square.

Have breakfast with us, browse the downtown shops, and take a walk around the Henry County Courthouse. Built in 1893, it sits at the heart of a historic district filled with Victorian and Italianate buildings.

Clinton Square joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. We’re glad to be part of a place where the old buildings still have new stories to tell.

Explore the historic downtown walking tour

The red brick Lee Theater building and its historic Square 109 sign on Washington Street. — 109 South Washington Street, on the Clinton Square.

The restaurant’s wooden display shelves with a paintball gun, awards, and local keepsakes.

A familiar place.
A new chapter.

Troy and Dena Ryan took over in January 2026 to carry on the Square 109 tradition of homestyle cooking for the Clinton community.

Named for Dena and Megan’s family, rooted in Chilhowee.

Today, the original Lee Theater building is a place to share a meal, catch up with neighbors, and feel welcome. We’re hardworking people who love seeing a smile on our customers’ faces.