As the son of a veteran, Lloyd Nichols grew up knowing he was called to serve his community. In fact, Lloyd left high school early so he could enlist in the Marine Corps, where he served for 13 years, earning a National Defense Medal for his Desert Storm deployment.
While serving in the Marine Corps Reserve, Lloyd used his GI benefits to attend Sam Houston State University, where he earned a business degree and again served the community as a corrections officer. Upon graduation, Lloyd went to work in the restaurant industry, where he quickly advanced to Area Vice President for Luby’s Cafeteria, serving a four-state region. This is the position that brought Lloyd to Tyler in 2000.
Lloyd and his wife, Tresa, immediately began serving the Tyler community, first through their church and later through other avenues. In 2007, Lloyd was called to leave Luby’s and help grow the Tyler economy by opening The Diner, which he operated for 15 years until he sold it in 2022. In addition to founding and operating the successful restaurant, Lloyd also founded Fit City Foods, which now serves as the cafeteria for Trane employees, and recently purchased Piney Ridge RV Estates. In all, Lloyd has employed hundreds of Tylerites over the last 15 years through his various businesses.
Lloyd is a graduate of Leadership Tyler Class 27, served as President of the East Texas Restaurant Association, and sat on the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Tyler. He also served as Chair of the East Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation, which provides grant funds to area high school culinary programs. He and Tresa are active members of Colonial Hills Baptist Church, where Lloyd is a Sunday School teacher, and Tresa has been an active leader in the youth and children's programs.
Home Types:
MultiFamily, House, Lot/Land, Commercial
Years of Experience:
3
