BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Simply Ramen opened its doors over the summer, while restaurants across the country were just struggling to stay afloat. 

It's located just down the street from Western Kentucky University, but co-owner Rob Sparkman expected to see a lot more business from students. He was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the customers came from the community. 

“It's a surprise for me. We have less students than I anticipated, maybe due to the COVID[-10], but the turnout, you know, we have more locals that come here and support a ramen place actually more than college students,” said Sparkman.

Gov. Andy Beshear ordered another suspension of indoor dining for several weeks beginning in November, hurting some restaurants like Simply Ramen, who were just trying to get back on their feet.

“It’s affected us alot, and you can see a big drop in it. People like to go out and eat ramen while it's hot, and they like to sit in, so we see a significant drop,” said Sparkman. 

Starting a restaurant can be risky, especially in the middle of a pandemic, but Sparkman says with community support, the restaurant continues to grow every day and looks forward to serving ramen in Bowling Green for years to come. 

“We expected the worst, but it turned out to be a lot better than we expected. Here in Bowling Green, you know, its a little town and people come out and support us and stop and know us and spread the word,” said Sparkman.

You can find Simply Ramen in Bowling Green on Old Morgantown Road. They will be open for New Year's Eve from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.