During the lunchtime rush on a cold January afternoon, people shuffle in the door to a sci-fi-themed diner in New Albany. Inside, all 10 of the diner’s cosmically themed seats are full. They’re going to have to stand.
Nearly all of them do.
The setting is a sci-fi collector’s paradise. Toys, lunch boxes, and action figures plaster the walls venerating series like Star Wars, Star Trek, Pigs in Space, and Doctor Who.
This is Lady Tron’s, a diner known for its campy decor, inclusive atmosphere, and unique flavor combinations.
Summer Sieg opened Lady Tron’s in 2017 and currently serves as head chef. Her love for sci-fi began in childhood.
"After church on Sundays, Dad always watched Star Trek, you know, the old ones," Sieg said. "That's pretty much how it began."
She started collecting sci-fi trinkets and toys when Lady Tron’s opened. The collection started to grow up the walls around her, and she doesn’t intend to stop.
"It's going to be even more covered by the end of it," she said, looking at the stacked shelves.
For the last three years, Summer has operated Lady Tron’s with her wife Alexa Sieg.
"I do a lot of the desserts and the stranger things and Summer developed the core menu," Alexa explained. "I am her minion," she chided. "Actually, we make a great team."
Their love for each other is ever present in the kitchen. Fun fact: they're a Tinder success story.
"It's like a menu, and it was as if we ordered our perfect entrees for one another," said Alexa. "Desserts babe, desserts" Summer laughed, unable to pass up the opportunity to flirt.
Alyssa Grimes, a Lady Tron’s regular, said love is part of the restaurant's overall vibe.
"You can taste it," Grimes said.
She especially respects that the Siegs are unafraid to experiment with flavors others may shy away from. For their adventurous nature, she has dubbed the Siegs "flavor wizards."
“I was a big fan of their popcorn ice cream, but they also had peanut butter and pickle soup once that I really liked," said Grimes.
Menu mainstays include The Ripley – a pulled chicken sandwich simmered in blueberry molasses – and The Leia – a Brie and Muenster grilled cheese with apple butter on cinnamon raisin bread.
Grimes said the diner's compact layout is also a big draw as it encourages mingling.
"Often when I come in here, I'm conversing with strangers about how good the food is," she said.
Kimberly Geswein, another longtime patron, said the Siegs have made Lady Tron’s feel like a place where you can be yourself.
“If you're trans, if you're gay, you're going to feel very safe here," Geswein said. "Those kinds of conversations are safe to have here, and I don't feel like they're safe to have everywhere in this area."
That atmosphere is intentional.
“We like everybody, you know, as long as you like good food and you got some money on you, and, well, you're nice," Summer Sieg, the head chef, said.
As people with long histories in food service, Summer and Alexa know their success isn't the case for many restaurants. They’ve worked hard, and they’re grateful.
“Luckily, we're here, and, I mean, it's going better than ever,” Summer said.
The Siegs don’t have plans to expand. While they would consider franchising for a “crazy amount of money” they don’t like the idea of not being where the action is.
“I like, and she likes being hands-on, you know, making this stuff," Summer said. "We know what it tastes like because we've made it. And, you know, if I don't like it, then I'm not going to serve it.”
This story has been updated.
