Bobbie's (also known as Bobbie's Diner) is the local diner and boarding house in Port Charles. From its establishment until 2024, it was named Kelly's from the original owners.
The diner was renamed "Bobbie's" in 2024, to honor the recently deceased Bobbie Spencer, and her late actress, Jacklyn Zeman.
History[]
Entrance to Kelly's on Pier 52
Bobbie’s, originally known as Kelly's, was founded in 1980 as a waterfront diner featuring boarding rooms on the upper floor. Established by Paddy Kelly and his wife Rose, it quickly became a popular meeting place for the community of Port Charles. Shortly after opening, Rose hired Luke Spencer to work as a waiter.
In March 1980, a nervous Johnny Colby, a former associate of Frank Smith's organization, feared he was being followed. He met with Joe Kelly at Kelly's to request funds for fleeing town after acting as an undercover agent for Joe. Shortly afterward, Johnny was fatally struck by a vehicle in a mob hit outside Kelly's. Rose and several patrons, including Joe and Scott Baldwin, heard the crash and rushed to help. The hit was ordered by Bill Watson, one of Smith's mobsters, defying Smith's instructions.
In September 1980, Paddy learns that Joe is being targeted by one of Frank Smith's hitmen. Determined to find Joe, Paddy sets out but is stabbed by Smith's men on the docks. Joe discovers him and rushes him to Kelly's, where they call 911. Paddy makes it to General Hospital but passes away shortly after. His funeral is held at the diner the following month, leaving Rose as the sole owner.
In December 1980, a New Year's Eve party was hosted at the diner, attended by many Port Charles guests.
In 1983, Jimmy Lee Holt, took a job at Kelly's and rented a boarding room. Jimmy eventually schemed his way into the Quartermaine Gatehouse. Ruby also employeed Shirley Pickett whom Jimmy Lee began dating.
In April 1983, following their marriage in the General Hospital Chapel, Bryan Phillips and Claudia Johnston-Phillips celebrated their wedding reception at Kelly's.
In May 1983, Rose takes in a street kid named Lou Swenson, offering her a room and a job at the diner.
In December 1983, Kelly's came under scrutiny when a health department article labeled the diner as a health hazard that failed to meet acceptable standards. Rose, however, was outraged because inspector Alfred Rodney had tried to bribe her for a favorable review, which she refused. She questioned how an establishment like the Bucket of Blood could operate without health violations and suspected they were bribing Alfred, as it also fell under his jurisdiction. Rose teamed up with Jake Meyer and Rick Webber to investigate, ultimately uncovering that Alfred had been accepting bribes from various establishments in the town, including the Bucket of Blood. Taking the review seriously, Rose decided to close Kelly's temporarily for thorough cleaning. Jake suggested recording Alfred, leading Rose to invite him to Kelly's for negotiations. Once Alfred was successfully recorded, Joe and Rose confronted him with the evidence and presented it to Rick. Rose opted not to press charges, and Rick convinced Alfred to retire after he admitted that he needed the bribe money for his ailing wife.
In September 1984, Rose left town to join her stepson Joe, who had already relocated, and handed over ownership of Kelly's to Ruby Anderson, who became renowned for her wise counsel and celebrated chili.
In 1985, newly arrived, Felicia Cummings where she gets a job as a waitress and finds a place to live above the diner. Although Felicia later moved to a place of her own, she continued to work as a waitress at the diner well into the early 1990s.
In May 1986, the financially ruined Quartermaine family moved into the boarding rooms above Kelly's, much to Edward and Alan's chagrin. During their time at the diner, Lila Quartermaine founded a new venture named Pickle-Lila to restore the family's wealth.
In October 1987, Melissa McKee along with her friends infiltrated Kelly's, leaving Ruby unconscious and stealing from the diner. Subsequently, Ruby would hire Melissa to work at the diner.
In May 1990, Kelly's underwent a minor renovation, featuring a new red neon sign in the window and relocating the entrance to the diner's east side.
In 1992, Jagger Cates and a group of gang members, including Cal Atkins, stormed Kelly's and attacked Ruby Anderson. During the robbery, Jagger was shot in the neck while trying to protect Ruby. In the aftermath, Ruby forgave Jagger for his role in the crime and supported his recovery by offering him lodging above Kelly's and a job. Later that year, Jagger convinced Karen Wexler, to take a job at Kelly's. Tensions arose when Brenda Barrett, also began working at Kelly's in 1993 and initiated a relationship with Jagger, moving into his room. After their breakup, Brenda moved out and Karen and Jagger eventually started dating.
In November 1993, a young Lucky Spencer was sent to Port Charles to stay at Kelly's under Ruby's care while Luke and Laura were fugitives fleeing from mobster Frank Smith. Eventually, Smith's men tracked Lucky to Kelly's, forcing him to escape into the town once again.
In March 1994, Jagger and Karen, departed Port Charles with Ruby hosting their wedding at Kelly's, an event that was attended by many Port Charles residents. Later that year, Lily Rivera arrived in Port Charles and got a job at the diner, moving into a room above the establishment. While living there, she became entangled in a love triangle with Sonny Corinthos, Brenda, and Miguel Morez. Brenda returned to the boarding house and stayed alongside Lily after her split with Sonny in 1995. Miguel also moved in down the hall and took a job at the diner, leading to he and Brenda developing a romantic relationship.
In 1996, Jagger’s sister, Gina Cates, also took a job at Kelly’s.
In 1997, popular couple Lucky Spencer and Elizabeth Webber first encountered each other outside Kelly's as Elizabeth indulged in a cigarette. Elizabeth eventually started working as a waitress at Kelly's and continued there until the early 2000s. Being a family-owned business, Ruby often allowed Lucky to organize private "Kelly's-closed dinners" with Elizabeth, Nikolas Cassadine, and Emily Quartermaine, where they enjoyed traditional potluck dishes.
After Ruby's passing in 1999, she bequeathed Kelly's to her niece and nephew, Luke and Bobbie Spencer. Luke, in particular, found it difficult to keep Kelly's running without Ruby's presence and even considered closing the establishment. However, it was Lucky and Liz who decided to reopen the diner, explaining to customers their limitations at the time due to Ruby's death. Even Nikolas joined in to help by waiting tables.
Kelly's neon window logo
Following Ruby's passing, Luke and Bobbie handed the daily management of Kelly's to Tammy Hansen.
In June 2000, Luke was managing Kelly's in Tammy's absence and found himself quarantined with Felicia Jones when a man collapsed with the contagious dengue fever.
In November 2000, Lucky and Elizabeth were about to make love upstairs in Lucky's boarding room when a fire marshal suddenly interrupted, announcing that the building needed to be evacuated due to a grease fire in Kelly's kitchen.
Tammy left town in 2001, leaving Luke and Bobbie to alternate as managers. Over the years, they provided various Port Charles residents with opportunities to work and live above Kelly's.
In early 2002, after the married couple A.J. Quartermaine and Courtney Matthews left the Quartermaine mansion, Courtney, desperate for cash, took a job at Kelly's. It was there that she eventually met her future husband, Jason Morgan.
That same year, a teenage Maxie Jones was hired and fired from her summer job at Kelly's for being irresponsible and getting caught with alcohol.
In November 2002, a spiraling and depressed Luke, overwhelmed by Laura's catatonic state, gets into a fight with Lucky at Kelly's. The altercation occurs after Lucky uses Laura's confession to the murder of her father to have Luke's charges dropped. Ned Quartermaine intervenes to break up the fight.
On New Year's Eve 2002, Carly Corinthos and Ric Lansing discovered the remnants of a 1920's speakeasy called “The Flynn's Club”, bricked off in the basement of Kelly's. Carly later ran a club here for a few years and named it The Cellar. Former owner Catherine Flynn, now an old woman who had been living in an apartment across the street, told Carly and Ric the club's history when she observed them breaking through the brick wall.
In February 2004, Luke and Bobbie enlisted Mike Corbin to oversee Kelly's and reside above the diner. Mike gained a reputation for dispensing wisdom akin to Ruby's and for his signature chocolate chip cookies. He also employed several Port Charles residents at Kelly's. Not long after assuming management, Mike was assaulted outside the diner by two hoodlums trying to threaten his son, Sonny Corinthos. Sam McCall quickly came to his aid but was later targeted herself. Soon after, Emily Quartermaine stepped in to protect Sam, confronting the attackers with a shotgun hidden behind the counter.
In the fall of 2004, when Monica Quartermaine discovered Edward Quartermaine and Heather Webber had married, she expelled them from the Quartermaine Mansion. They moved into the boarding rooms above Kelly's. Edward gave away his money and ELQ shares, taking a job at Kelly's and insisting he only needed Heather to be happy. Heather, concerned about Edward's decision and mental health, conspired with Tracy Quartermaine to have him evaluated without his knowledge. Although the psychiatrist declared Edward mentally sound, Tracy and Heather bribed him to have Edward committed to a mental institution. Behind Heather's back, Tracy and Skye arranged for Edward's release, hoping he would see Heather's actions in his absence. Disappointed with Heather, Edward sought an annulment, and Heather was eventually committed herself.
During the same fall, Courtney persuaded her father, Mike, to hire a local boy, Diego Alcazar, who would later become the infamous "Text Message Killer," to work at the diner. On his first day, Diego got into a fight with Lucas Jones after stealing money from Lucas's bag during a basketball game. Shortly thereafter, Diego’s mother, Maria Sanchez, briefly worked at the diner as well.
In May 2005, Carly got into an intense fight with Reese Marshall, in full view of several patrons who started fleeing. Eventually, Mike and Justus Ward stepped in to break up the brawl.
In November 2005, Diego attempted to rob the diner at gunpoint, targeting Mike. In response, Mike quickly grabbed a shotgun, but Diego managed to take Georgie Jones hostage. Diego fled with the money and Georgie to the pizza shack, but Georgie eventually convinced him to surrender.
In 2006, after being ousted from the Quartermaine mansion, Dillon Quartermaine and Georgie took jobs at Kelly's and moved into the boarding rooms. Georgie continued as a waitress there until her death at the hands of Diego in 2007, after which her sister Maxie temporarily took over her shifts. An emotionally distraught Maxie eventually lost control, trashed the establishment, and attacked Damian Spinelli, until Lucky Spencer managed to calm her down.
In March 2007, Lulu Spencer and Maxie Jones had a slap fight at the diner, and their boyfriends, Cooper Barrett and Logan Hayes, had to step in to hold them back.
After Cooper rents a room above Kelly's and begins living there, in April, after he and Maxie share an intimate moment, a jealous Logan barges in, accusing Maxie of being untrustworthy due to her flirtations with him. A physical altercation ensues between Logan and Cooper, while Maxie remains in bed, smiling under a sheet. Downstairs at Kelly’s, Dillon and Lulu hear the commotion and rush upstairs to find Logan and Cooper in the midst of a fight. Dillon attempts to intervene and pulls Logan away from Cooper, only for Logan to punch Dillon in the face. Lulu steps in, grabs a metal object, and strikes Logan over the head. Logan regains consciousness shortly after and appears unharmed.
A week later, Maxie, Logan, Lulu, and Coop are at Kelly's when they hear gunfire coming from the abandoned club, The Cellar. As they step outside, they are ambushed by thugs hired by Lorenzo Alcazar, the perpetrators of the shooting. One thug takes Maxie hostage, but Cooper skillfully neutralizes the attacker with a precise single shot. However, her father, Commissioner Mac Scorpio, was far from impressed.
In January 2008, the police began closing in on Cooper, suspected to be the "Text Message Killer." After stealing DNA evidence that incriminated him from the PCPD, he persuaded Maxie to leave town with him, and she agreed. However, when Maxie arrived at Coop's room at Kelly's, she discovered him hanged. Mike and Jason Morgan rushed to assist upon hearing Maxie's screams. The PCPD declared it a suicide, but Maxie was not convinced. She did not believe Coop had taken his own life or that he had killed Georgie. It was later revealed that the true Text Message Killer was Diego Alcazar, who had also murdered Coop, believing he was close to uncovering his identity. Coop had suspected Lorenzo Alcazar, not Diego.
In early 2008, when the Russian mob invaded Port Charles, two gangsters broke into Kelly's, attacked Mike, and then set the diner on fire, igniting a mob war that involved Sonny. Shortly after Mike's recovery, Bobbie and Luke swiftly made arrangements to reconstruct the diner.
In 2009, Emily Quartermaine's twin sister, Rebecca Shaw, accepts a position and a room above the diner amidst pressure from Mike, Lucky, and Edward Quartermaine, who insisted that she reside with the Quartermaine family instead.
General Hospital - Kelly's Makeover ( GH50)
A video showing Kelly's makeover in 2013, released by ABC.
In 2010, Mike departed from Kelly's to enter gambling rehabilitation, prompting Luke to take over as manager once more. Luke frequently enlists his daughter Lulu to assist with the family business, despite her minimal interest in the role.
In February 2012, Shawn Butler was appointed as the new manager. Shortly after assuming his role, he discovered T.J. Ashford breaking into Kelly's and stealing food. Shawn then decided to mentor T.J., offering him employment and accommodation at the diner.
In November 2012, Carly and Skye Chandler-Quartermaine got into a physical fight at the diner, but Shawn and Max Giambetti stepped in and broke it up.
Later that year, Luke was particularly unhappy when Heather Webber was discharged from Ferncliff Asylum and compelled him to hire her at Kelly's, a place where she was notorious for her affinity for their BLT sandwiches. This arrangement was brief, as Heather soon demonstrated that she remained mentally unstable.
In February 2013, Lucy Coe, under the impression that John McBain was the vampire Caleb Morley, staked John outside Kelly's. He was quickly taken to General Hospital.
As of mid 2013, Kelly's appears to have undergone a renovation, featuring new green neon lights and a fresh coat of green paint.
After Shawn was incarcerated in 2015, the diner appeared to go without a manager for several years.
In 2016, Kelly's experienced another attempted armed robbery, but the perpetrator was successfully subdued by Curtis and Jordan Ashford.
"Kelly's" is now "Bobbie's" (2024)
In 2021, Cameron Webber became a busboy at the diner. By October, he was promoted to Assistant Manager and hired his cousin Spencer Cassadine as a waiter.
On May 3, 2023, the SEC froze Carly Spencer's assets, leading to a declined payment for a slice of pie. She reminisced with the waitress about her aunt, Ruby Anderson, the diner's former owner. Despite previous claims that Bobbie no longer owned Kelly's, ownership was transferred to Carly on July 24, 2023, making her the new proprietor. Carly informed her daughter, Josslyn Jacks, that Bobbie had traveled to Amsterdam to settle her late brother Luke's estate. Carly's attorney, Diane Miller, discovered that in New York, it's legal for a parent to gift property or a business to their offspring. Consequently, Carly's mother sold her the diner for $1. Carly plans to refurbish the upper floors for tenants or students, not for personal use.
On New Year's Eve 2023/24, the news broke that Bobbie had passed away in her sleep in Amsterdam. Seeking solace, Carly visited Kelly's, reflecting alone in the quiet of the closed diner. Elizabeth and Sonny each arrived, desiring to share in her sorrow. On January 9, the eve of Bobbie's funeral, a storm damaged the diner's iconic sign. Elizabeth volunteered to create a new one, aiming to honor Bobbie's memory. She crafted the sign with "Bobbie's" emblazoned on it, a gesture Carly and Lucas, Bobbie's surviving children, embraced, thus the diner was renamed.
Carly eventually hires a new manager for the diner, Hunter Crews, while Josslyn also starts working there as a waitress.
In October 2024, upon learning he was infected by a parasite from his time in Africa, making him not a viable candidate for organ donation to Lulu, Lucky came to the diner, ordered everyone out and trashed the restaurant in his despair before breaking down.
In October 2025, Gio Palmieri begins working at the diner.Staff[]
- Hunter Crews (manager)
- Josslyn Jacks (waitress)
- Gio Palmieri (waiter)
- Beth (waitress)
- Danielle (waitress)
- Julie (waitress)
- Katrina (waitress)
Bobbie's is well-known for its tradition of offering numerous citizens the opportunity to work at the diner, a practice initiated by Paddy and Rose Kelly, a few years after its establishment as Kelly's. These individuals include, but are not limited to:
- Diego Alcazar
- T.J. Ashford
- Brenda Barrett
- Shawn Butler
- Spencer Cassadine
- Gina Cates
- Jagger Cates
- Mike Corbin
- Summer Halloway
- Jimmy Lee Holt
- Felicia Jones
- Georgie Jones
- Maxie Jones
- Courtney Matthews
- Melissa McKee
- Miguel Morez
- Shirley Pickett
- Dillon Quartermaine
- Lily Rivera
- Maria Sanchez
- Rebecca Shaw
- Bobbie Spencer
- Lucky Spencer
- Luke Spencer
- Lulu Spencer
- Lou Swenson
- Cameron Webber
- Elizabeth Webber
- Heather Webber
- Karen Wexler
Some individuals opt to lease living spaces above Bobbie's, utilizing the boarding house exclusively as their residence without working at the diner, while others obtain employment at the diner during their stay. Former residents have included, but are not limited to:
- Jordan Ashford
- T.J. Ashford
- Jesse Beaudry
- Brenda Barrett
- Cooper Barrett
- Shawn Butler
- Jagger Cates
- Mike Corbin
- Stella Fields
- Jimmy Lee Holt
- Georgie Jones
- Felicia Jones
- Ric Lansing
- Courtney Matthews
- Sam McCall
- Miguel Morez
- Jason Morgan
- Esme Prince
- Alan Quartermaine
- Edward Quartermaine
- Dillon Quartermaine
- Emily Quartermaine
- Lila Quartermaine
- Lily Rivera
- Juan Santiago
- Rebecca Shaw
- Zander Smith
- Carly Spencer
- Lucky Spencer
- Holly Sutton
- Lou Swenson
- Keesha Ward
- Heather Webber
- Rick Webber
- Karen Wexler
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The diner also originally served beer and wine under Paddy and Rose's ownership.
- During Ruby Anderson's tenure as the owner of Kelly's Diner, many patrons on the show and fans in real life questioned why the establishment was never renamed Ruby's. Some fans even mistakenly believed it had been, considering Ruby's significant presence there.
- Countless fights have also occurred at Kelly's some of these including Elizabeth Webber, Courtney Matthews, Faith Rosco, Carly Spencer, Reese Marshall, Skye Quartermaine, Lulu Spencer, Maxie Jones, Logan Hayes, Dillon Quartermaine, Cooper Barrett, and Lucky Spencer.
