Tim’s Diner, Water Street in Leominster, Mass. A circa 1950s photo showing the diner with the original name of Roy’s Diner on the porcelain panels. Photo Courtesy of Tim’s Diner
I first learned about Tim’s Diner when I saw an article that appeared in one of the local newspapers, possibly The Boston Globe, sometime between 1979 and 1980. I more than likely still have the news-clipping in my 5-drawer flat file but it would be a chore to dig it out. I believe it was written by Richard J.S. Gutman and the article was highlighting some classic diners in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This article had been published just prior to when I started documenting diners with my photographs.
A little background on Tim’s Diner, it is a 1949 Silk City Diner (Car No. 4921) built by the Paterson Vehicle Company of Paterson, New Jersey. It was purchased by Roy Hemenway (or Hemingway) and originally named “Roy’s Diner”. In 1953, Tim Kamataris Sr. purchased the diner from Hemenway and rechristened the business “Tim’s Diner”.
With the shooting of my first diner photo on November 29, 1980 while visiting in Harrisburg, PA, I got back home and started taking more diner photos, blanketing the Boston area, up thru the North Shore, out towards Lawrence and Lowell, into the Metro-West area as far as Worcester. By the end of July of 1981 when I started to keep a “Diner Log”, I had started venturing further afield, documenting diners in Spencer, Orange and Northampton. Now granted, my entries into the Diner Log were sporadic at first and there were quite a few that did not get properly logged with info such as dates of first photos, etc. But I know I must have visited the Fitchburg-Leominster area along the Route 2 corridor, but did not get to Tim’s Diner until early September of 1981.
It looks like I had taken a trip on Saturday September 5, 1981, starting out in Leominster where I photographed Tim’s and the Central Square Diner on the way to getting photos of the Pizza Pub in Wilbraham, Taco Villa in Amherst and Ross’ Diner in Holyoke. The first three photos I shot of Tim’s Diner were the only ones I got of the diner when it still looked the way it came from the factory….
Tim’s Diner, Water Street in Leominster, Mass. September 5, 1981 photo by Larry Cultrera
Tim’s Diner, Water Street in Leominster, Mass. September 5, 1981 photo by Larry Cultrera
Tim’s Diner, Water Street in Leominster, Mass. September 5, 1981 photo by Larry Cultrera
So not long after that first visit to Tim’s, tragedy struck when a motorist veered off the road, more than likely taking the turn too wide from Mechanic Street onto Water Street and hit the front of the diner. The original factory-built entryway was destroyed along with the stainless steel facade under the front windows being damaged beyond repair. Tim Kamataris Sr. made the decision to replace the entryway and facade under all the windows along the front and right side of the diner with brick. Ironically, a second car accident hit the front wall again within a fairly short time after the damage was repaired from the first accident, this time to the right of the new entryway. This accident caused more damage with the brick facade and wall behind it being pushed in by a few inches. The stainless steel panels above the windows and the trim at the corners of the diner were left intact which In retrospect would help with the eventual restoration that happened in the last year and a half.
Tim’s Diner with brick entryway and facade after the two accidents. 2008 Photo by Larry Cultrera
Tim’s Diner with brick entryway and facade after the two accidents. April 18, 2009 Photo by Larry Cultrera
Sometime in the early 2000s, I became friends with Tim Kamataris Jr. when I started to frequent the diner more often, usually with my pal Steve Repucci. Tim related to me how he always lamented the fact that his dad had put the brick on the diner. He expressed that he would love to restore the diner but knew it would take a lot of money to do it correctly and he did not see how he could raise the funds to do the job.
Yours Truly with Tim Kamataris Jr. at Tim’s Diner January 12, 2013 photo by Steve Repucci
Interior of Tim’s Diner, Steve Repucci (with hat) sitting at the counter. March 26, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior of Tim’s Diner, Steve Repucci sitting at the counter. March 26, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior of the back dining room at Tim’s Diner. March 26, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior of the back dining room at Tim’s Diner. March 26, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera
from left to right -Yours Truly with my brothers Don & Rick with Tim Kamataris and his sister Gail Kamataris-Prizio in the background. January 27, 2020 photo from Larry Cultrera
Tim’s Diner with the walls prepped awaiting the new stainless steel panels. November 18, 2022 photo by Larry Cultrera
Within the last two years or so, Tim found out that the diner was eligible for Government grants from the city of Leominster which made it possible to finally restore the exterior of the diner to a reasonable facsimile to the way it originally looked. He had a local contractor do the prep work by removing the brick work under the windows on the front and right side of the diner. The front wall to the right of the entryway under the windows was dismantled in order to pull the steel beam back out. The tile-work on the inside of the wall was replaced although not an exact match to the originals, it still looks good and the booths located on that wall help to hide it to a degree.
The Summer of 2023, new replacement windows were installed but the stainless steel panels were not installed until early December. My wife Denise and I made a quick trip out on December 20, 2023 to document the diner with the completed restoration. This restoration included cladding the brick entryway with stainless steel as well.
Tim’s Diner with new stainless steel facade. December 20, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Tim’s Diner with new stainless steel facade. December 20, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Tim’s Diner with new stainless steel facade. December 20, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
All in all, I am happy to say that I believe that Tim’s Diner looks much better and closer to the way it originally looked. It has been over 40 years and it was well worth the wait, a job well done!!!!
In Massachusetts, we have had a long history and love affair with donuts. I remember a time in the 1950s and 60s when every city or town had at least one Mom & Pop Donut (or Doughnut) shop. In fact in Medford, I can recall Town Line Donuts on Salem Street near the Fellsway, Country Donuts (still operating and now called Donuts with a Difference) in Medford Square as well as Pauline’s Donuts in Medford Square and West Medford Square. There was also Donut Time on Main Street in South Medford. Not far away, about a mile from the Medford/Somerville town line was Johnson’s Doughnuts in Somerville.
Dunkin’ Donuts and Mister Donuts were national chains with roots here in the Bay State. In fact two brother-in-laws Bill Rosenberg and Harry Winokur started with a place called the Open Kettle in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1948. This business morphed into Dunkin’ Donuts by 1950 and due to a disagreement about how to grow the chain, Winokur left Dunkin’ and started Mister Donut in 1956.
The Original Dunkin’ Donuts, Southern Artery in Quincy, Mass. Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Brands
The original Dunkin’ Donuts after it had a retro renovation, December 4, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera
Mister Donut, Route 3A, Weymouth Mass. May, 1992 photo by Larry Cultrera
More recent chains have developed locally in Massachusetts such as Honey Dew Donuts which started in Mansfield in 1973 and Heav’nly Donuts started in Methuen in 1975. A long-time favorite of mine, Kane’s Donuts in Saugus started in 1955 by the Kane family and now owned by the Delios family since 1989 has expanded to 3 locations in the last few years with a small location in Boston (2015) and another larger location on Route 1 south in Saugus (2019).
Original Kane’s Donuts location, Lincoln Ave. Saugus, Mass. November 25, 2011 photo by Larry Cultrera
Another small place is Donut Villa in Malden which has been around since the 1970s and was recently bought by new owners a few years ago. Now known as Donut Villa Diner, these new owners have expanded to locations in Arlington and Cambridge.
Donut Villa Diner, Malden, Mass. July 4, 2016 photo by Larry Cultrera
Also, for a few years we had Krispy Kreme Doughnut franchises in New England (most have been closed).
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Medford, Mass. June, 2003 photo by Larry Cultrera
Canadian Donut Chain, Tim Horton’s opened a few stores, mostly in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I believe they took over former Bess Eaton Donut locations.
Tim Horton’s Donuts location, Near Fall River, Mass. Photo by Larry Cultrera
Other notable donut shops in the Greater Boston Area are Anna’s Handcut Donuts in West Roxbury, Gail Ann Coffee Shop in Arlington, Coffee Time Bake Shop in Salem, Ziggy & Son’s Donuts also in Salem and Donna’s Donuts in Tewksbury. Further afield is Donut Dip in West Springfield.
Back in July of this year, Denise and I changed up our usual destination for breakfast on Saturday mornings. We decided to try a new place that opened just over a year ago on the eastbound side of the Revere Beach Parkway (where U.S. Route 1 crosses over) in Revere, Massachusetts. This new place is The Dandee Donut Factory, the only Massachusetts location of a small chain out of southern Florida that serves breakfast and lunch along with their really delicious hand cut donuts. Part of the draw was the fact that it opens early – 5:00 AM, 7 days a week and the other convenient reason is no matter where we actually have gone to breakfast in the recent past, we usually end up about a mile away from where this donut shop is on a regular errand!
The Dandee Donut Factory, 1141 Revere Beach Parkway, Revere, Mass. July 17, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
The chain founded in 1980 by Peter Spyredes and Frank Pucine with a shop located at 1900 Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach Florida. Another was opened at 1422 South Federal Highway in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Spyredes and Pucine sold the company to current owners David Zion & David Groom in 2012 who subsequently opened a new location at 3101 North State Road in Margate, Florida and the Revere, Massachusetts location more recently in December, 2022.
General Manager David Ferrara with a table of regular customers. December 7, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
General Manager David Ferrara schmoozing with the Kelly sisters. December 7, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Some of the crew – left to right includes… Kevin, Gio, Shelley and Shawn December 7, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Jazmin – one of our favorite servers, with the selection of donuts. December 9, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Another view showing a selection of donuts December 9, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Back in July after trying it out for the first time, we realized that they offered a decent breakfast and lunch menu besides their really great donuts. Breakfast items consist of egg sandwiches and egg dishes, from the All-American (2 eggs any style cooked to order with sides), Seven types of 3-egg omeletes including a “build your own”. Sides include bacon, corned beef hash, and sausage (choice of patty or links). They also offer sides of potatoes – homefries and hashbrown.
Lunch at The Dandee Donut Factory features various hot or cold sandwich items as well as Grilled Cheese, 1/2 pound Angus Burgers, Footlong Angus Beef Hot Dogs, Homemade Soups, Beef Stew or Chili, Salads and Salad Platters, along with sides of French Fries, Homefries and potato chips.
But the star of the show is certainly the donuts (51 varieties) which are larger than other commercially available donuts (read Dunkin’). I highly recommend their filled donuts like the Bavarian Creme or Boston Creme along with Blueberry, Lemon and Apple, these are huge and completely filled. Also their Apple Fritters are among the best I have ever tried. They also feature Coffee Rolls, Maple Bacon donuts and other frosted delectables. Bagels and Muffins are available as well.
The Dandee Donut Factory is very much involved with the community and helps with fundraisers and other charitable endeavors. Sometime in November, Denise and I now visit The Dandee Donut Factory on both Saturday and Sunday mornings for breakfast and the occasional weekday lunch. In closing if you are ever in the Boston area, you should definitely head over to Revere and check out The Dandee Donut Factory, they are open 5:00 AM to 3:00 PM, 7 days a week, tell them I sent you!!!!
Here we are again – it’s November 29th and as always, I like to make note of this day, now 43 years ago when I shot my first 35mm photograph of a diner. There I was on my second road trip to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, two days after Thanksgiving visiting my pal Steve Repucci who I had helped moved just short of 3 months earlier to the capitol of the Keystone State. Myself and my brother Rick as well as friend Scott Drown had driven down from Massachusetts the day before, the Friday after Thanksgiving and basically hung out that afternoon in Steve’s apartment. We decided to go to breakfast the next morning at the nearest diner to where Steve lived which turned out to be the By-Pass Diner on Herr Street. This is when I “broke my cherry” so to speak and turned my camera lens toward taking this first tentative photo…
The By-Pass Diner, Harrisburg, PA November 29, 1980 photo by Larry Cultrera
Since then I have photographed just short of 900 different diners throughout a good portion of the eastern United States, from Maine to Virginia and Tennessee as well as a few in Florida and one in Georgia and into the midwest area counting a handful in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.
In this blog post I want to highlight the diners that I have photographed in the Capitol region of Pennsylvania. I will start with another view of the By-Pass Diner…
By-Pass Diner – Harrisburg, February 19, 1984
Dempsey’s Diner – Harrisburg, April, 1987
Dempsey’s Diner – Hershey, April 19, 1987
Ray’s Diner (AKA East Shore Diner) – Harrisburg, February 19, 1984
Riverview Diner – Harrisburg, March 20, 1982
West Shore Diner – Lemoyne, August 9, 1981
Decoven Diner – Duncannon, November 28, 1981
Trail Diner – Duncannon, August, 1981
Blue Diner – West Hanover Township, March 22, 1982
Bill’s Friendly Diner – Hummlestown, April 3, 1983
Highspire Diner (AKA Friendly Diner) – Highspire, March 27, 1982
Okay, so October 31st has come back around and as regular followers of Diner Hotline may know, I always like to acknowledge that this is the anniversary of the start of this blog. It has been 16 years since the debut of this blog which originally started out as a column in the Society for Commercial Archeology’s (SCA) News Journal which I wrote in December of 1987. This first Diner Hotline column which was not even a whole page, appeared in the Winter 1988 edition of the News Journal, a newsletter type publication by the SCA.
Eventually the News Journal was divided into two publications two or three years after I started the column – the SCA News (membership newsletter) and the SCA Journal (a magazine). At that point, I was given the option as to which publication Diner Hotline would appear in and I opted for the SCA Journal. Diner Hotline continued until the 2007 Summer Edition of the Journal when I decided to retire the column. Within a month or so after I discontinued the column, my friend Brian Butko emailed me. Brian knew I was thinking of continuing Diner Hotline possibly as another entity, and suggested I start a blog. So on October 31, 2007 this blog came into being…
So instead of just acknowledging the anniversary of the blog, I thought I would impart some news about a handful of diners being sold to new owners and hopefully (most) will be brought back as working diners in the near future.
Harrisburg’s By-Pass Diner moved from long-time operating location & saved from possible demolition.
The very first diner I ever photographed was the By-Pass Diner of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. That one photo taken on November 29, 1980 led to my taking thousands of photos of 896 diners since and that diner has always held a spot close to my heart.
By-Pass Diner, Harrisburg, PA November 29, 1980 by Larry Cultrera.
The diner changed hands in the 1990s and the new owner Fred Jenkins operated it for many years as the American Dream Diner before closing in 2020. As of January 28, 2021, the diner had reopened as Harry’s Bistro by Lou Antonio Vazquez with his daughters, Audrey and Anna Vazquez. Unfortunately for some reason the diner was forced to close within a few months of re-opening. As of earlier this year it was announced that the property the diner occupied as well as the parcel next door that housed a gas station was going to be redeveloped and the diner was put up for sale.
According to a news article dated last week (October 26, 2023) by Sue Gleiter of Penn Live, the diner was disassembled and moved across the street to get it out of harms way. The following is the gist of the news article… A nostalgic Harrisburg diner saved from the scrap heap by a longtime customer and local insurance agent, could face roadblocks as attempts are made to resurrect it at a new address. Hugh Dorsey recently bought the 70-year-old American Dream Diner at 1933 Herr St., where a convenience store is slated to be built. He then relocated the 1953 stainless steel DeRaffele diner across the street to a vacant lot next to the former State Police headquarters in Susquehanna Township.
Sections of the By-Pass Diner after the move to property across the street. Photo by Dan Gleiter, Penn Live.
At the time of this report, it is not clear where the diner may end up or if in fact it will be set up and reopened. I truly hope this diner will have a good outcome!
World Famous Rosie’s Diner gets sold after 12 years sitting idle.
Rosie’s Farmland Diner, Little Ferry, NJ. June 24, 1983 photo by Larry Cultrera.
The diner known as Rosie’s was originally operated as the Silver Dollar Diner in Little Ferry, New Jersey. Built in 1946 by the Paramount Dining Car Company, the diner was located at the traffic circle on U.S. Route 46 when it opened in the 1940s. Owned by Ralph A. (Tex) Corrado, Sr. and his young son, Ralph A. Corrado, Jr., the Corrados operated the diner together until Tex retired in the early 1960s when Ralph Jr. took over and eventually renamed the business the Farmland Diner.
The diner’s large size and close proximity to New York City were perfect for the diner to become the location for many print ads and television commercials, for different products and services. In the earlier days of the diner, commercials were filmed for Sanka Instant Coffee and Pepsi Cola. Other companies like Ethan Allen Furniture, New Jersey Bell and Sony used the diner’s location for their advertisements. However, the series of TV commercials that made the diner famous were for Bounty Paper Towels.
The Bounty commercials were filmed at the diner during the 1970s when it was known as the Farmland Diner (local Little Ferry residents affectionately referred to it as “The Greasy Spoon”). In the TV commercials, clumsy patrons would knock over beverages, and Rosie the Waitress, played by the late actress Nancy Walker, would clean up the mess using Bounty Paper Towels, pronouncing the product the “quicker picker-upper”. Two decades after the first commercials were filmed, Walker was still cleaning up after her television customers, but in a studio instead of in the diner. After the Bounty Paper Towel commercials became well known, Ralph Corrado decided to take advantage of the notoriety and renamed the restaurant in the 1970s to Rosie’s Farmland Diner after the waitress character from the commercials.
In 1989, after running the diner for 45 years, Ralph Corrado and his son Arnie sold the land under the diner to the auto glass repair shop next door. The business did not want the diner, leaving it up to Corrado to sell the building. His offer to place “the most famous diner in America” in the Smithsonian Institution was rejected.
At this time, in steps Jerry Berta, a Michigan artist that produced ceramic replicas of classic diners, with the original Rosie’s as one of his inspirations. He already owned one diner, the former Uncle Bob’s Diner a 1947 Jerry O’Mahony diner (moved from Flint, Michigan circa 1987) at that time located on his site on 14 Mile Road in Rockford, Michigan. Berta used that diner as a studio and gallery known as The Diner Store.
On a subsequent trip to the New York City area toward the end of 1989, Jerry and some friends revisited Rosie’s Diner and found out that the New Jersey diner was for sale. Berta bought Rosie’s and moved it to Michigan to it’s current location. The purchase price at the time was $10,000 for the 24-by-60-foot (7.3 by 18.3 m) building. Work crews separated the two sections of the diner and lifted it off the foundation the week after it closed in January of 1990. The sections were loaded onto two flatbed trucks for the move to Michigan. The restaurant opened in its new location on July 5, 1991. The following link is from a video I posted to You Tube featuring all of my photos of Rosie’s Diner….https://youtu.be/2XlDiGzRM3I
The Diner Store and Rosie’s Diner in Rockford, MI. 1990s photo by Fred Tiensivu.
Diner World in the late 1990s. Left to right – Diner Store, Rosie’s Diner, the former Garden of Eatin’ Diner and an on-site built addition. Photo courtesy of Jerry Berta.
The vintage two-diner collection expanded to three when Berta purchased the former Garden of Eatin’ diner (a 1952 Silk City) and moved it from Fulton, New York to the Michigan site in 1994. A fourth (reproduction) diner was also built on site as an addition. Known collectively as Diner World or Dinerland USA, the location featured the Diner Store art gallery (in the O’Mahony car), Rosie’s Diner (the primary restaurant), and a 3 1⁄2 acre food-themed mini-golf course designed by Berta, where guests could putt around a big burger and slice of pie. The roadside attraction continued under Berta’s ownership being operated by able management and staff until 2006, when it was purchased by new owner/operators.
View of Diner WorldPhoto Photo courtesy of Tom Loftus & Robin Schwartzman on their Website ” A Couple of Putts”.
Jonelle and Randy Roest purchased the diner in January 2006. They continued to run Rosie’s as a diner and reopened the Silk City car as a sports bar. The O’Mahony car was opened seasonally as an ice cream shop. The mini-golf course was not reopened. While under the Roests’ ownership, the location received TV coverage on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and the Travel Channel’s Diner Paradise.
Rosie’s Diner closed for business on October 2, 2011. The property was sold through online auction to Aaron Koehn of nearby Koehn Chevrolet, with a winning bid of $125,000. In September 2014, he offered tours of the buildings as part of a car show that attracted an estimated 3,000 people.
Since then the diners including Rosie’s have sat idle – slowly deterioratng. But the good news is that within the last two weeks it was announced that Rosie’s Diner has been bought by Chuck and Dawn Perry of Millersburg, Missouri and they’re going to restore it. He’s a car restorer, and she runs restaurants. So, it’s like the perfect fit,” said Berta. Although the Perry’s actually purchased the diner last winter, all the T’s are crossed and the I’s dotted, allowing the process of moving the diner to it’s new location. This transition may take some time but it looks like Rosie’s has found a new home and a renewed lease on life!
Dawn Perry at Rosie’s Diner in Rockford, MI. Courtesy of Dawn Perry.
Shawmut Diner of New Bedford will live again!
The Shawmut Diner, New Bedford, MA early 2000s photo by Larry Cultrera
One of my favorite diners in Massachusetts -the Shawmut Diner, formerly of New Bedford looks to be on the road shortly to a new location and life in Norwich, Connecticut. The Shawmut Diner closed in 2014 when long-time owners Phil and Celeste Paleologos decided to retire. Back in the mid-to-late 1990s, Phil who also had a daytime gig as a local Radio personality hosted a daily news/talk and entertainment show right from the diner. Called the Diner Show, he interviewed national personalities from show business and politics to the local customers of the diner. I was on his show quite a few times.
Phil Paleologos and myself in the broadcast booth set up in the back corner of the Shawmut Diner. September, 1998 photo by Denise Cultrera
Back at the beginning of 2014 the Paleologos’ had a generous offer from Cumberland Farms, a local Gas Station/Convenience Store chain for the property. The Paleologos’ hoped to sell the large 1953 vintage Jerry O’Mahony Diner but were not getting any reasonable offers in the short time allotted. So they in turn donated the building to the Bristol County House of Correction and had it moved to the prison’s property in nearby Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
Phil and Celeste Paleologos on the last day of operation at the Shawmut Diner. March 20, 2014 photo by Larry Cultrera
The hoped for plan was to get the funds to set the diner back up and have it used for vocational training to rehabilitate inmates prior to release. Unfortunately, this plan never came to fruition and the diner has been sitting on blocks awaiting it’s fate.
Earlier this year the current Sheriff of Bristol County announced plans to put the diner building up for auction. The auction was held in July and the winning bid of $20,200 was won by New Yorker Evan Blum, owner of Demolition Depot in Harlem, and the yet-to-open Irreplaceable Artifacts of Norwich, Connecticut.
According to Blum, while his business is in buying and selling old items like the Shawmut Diner, he has other plans in this case. “I have a property over in Norwich, CT and I’m opening up an art, antiques and crafts market there,” he said, “and I wanted to put this in the parking lot to help attract more people.
“I figured I’d get one of my operators there to bring in some decent food and set it up so it’ll be an accomodation.” Blum, noted that he is still working out “some logistics” of transporting the diner from the Bristol County House of Correction property in Dartmouth to Norwich, Connecticut, said he looks to have the diner up and running “some time next year.”
On a side note, the last diner to operate in Norwich was Burt’s Diner which was moved out in the 1980s and is now operating in Hubbard, Ohio as the Emerald Diner.
Burt’s Diner, Norwich, Connecticut July 10, 1983 photo by Larry Cultrera
Miss Bellows Falls Diner on track for a restoration and reopening!
Miss Bellows Falls Diner, Bellows Falls, VT. August 7, 1983 by Larry Cultrera.
The Miss Bellows Falls Diner, Worcester Lunch Car No. 771 was the second diner to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Built by Worcester in 1941and originally installed in Lowell, Massachusetts as Frankie and Johnny’s Diner, its stay in Lowell was brief.
The diner was then transported to Bellows Falls, Vermont in 1942 to begin a new life, adorned with new front panels announcing the diner’s new identity. It has since been operated under quite a few different people over the intervening decades which continued until it closed in early 2020 at the beginning of the Pandemic.
Fast forward to May, 2023 and it was reported that after signing a purchase and sales agreement earlier in the Spring, Rockingham for Progress (RFP) took possession of the diner.
RFP, a nonprofit formed in 2016 to promote progressive economic development, an appreciation of the historic and cultural value of Bellows Falls, and citizen participation in our local democratic processes had plans for the diner’s revival. Undertaking the challenge of restoring the Miss Bellows Falls Diner to its original working condition is being done in consultation with historic diner expert Richard J.S. Gutman and with the support of a $100,000 Paul Bruhn grant from the Preservation Trust of Vermont.
“They plan on using the grant funds exclusively for the restoration of the historic dining car. Both the exterior and interior will be repaired and restored, including the marble counter, tile-work, built-in coolers, stools, oak booths, fixtures, signage and stained-glass filigrees on the windows,” the Preservation Trust said in a prepared statement.
Red Wing Diner of Walpole, Massachusetts closed and For Sale.
The Red Wing Diner, a long-time favorite restaurant on U.S. Route 1 in Walpole, Massachusetts known for its fried seafood and iconic (bar Pie) pizza has closed.
Back on September 5, 2023, an announcement was posted on the Red Wing Diner’s Facebook page that the diner was temporarily closed for repairs. By the beginning of October a “For Sale” sign had appeared outside the diner.
The Red Wing Diner, Walpole MA. May 26, 2006 photo by Larry Cultrera.
The Red Wing Diner, Walpole MA. 1930s photo from my collection.
The Red Wing is Worcester Lunch Car, No. 709 dating from 1933. The diner was expanded later when the owners purchased the former railroad depot in town. They moved the building to the diner’s location and attached it to the left side of the diner.
The Red Wing Diner showing the attached addition in the 1940s, from my collection.
Jack Conway Realtors out of Mansfield is handling the sale. It is listing the 2,727-square-foot restaurant and 5-acre property at $1.35 million. Unfortunately, with a price tag of that size, redevelopment would be a likely scenario and it seems unlikely the diner will survive. We will have to see how this pans out.
Denise and I were married on October 12, 1991 and honeymooned at The Caesar’s Pocono Palace (now Cove Pocono Palace) in Marshalls Creek, Pennsylvania. Back thru the 1980s I used to pass this resort heading south on Route 209 on my way to visit friends in Harrisburg, PA, . So when Denise and I were planning the honeymoon, I suggested this as a destination. Ideally, I would have loved to make a return trip to the resort in 2021 for our 30th anniversary but the Pandemic interfered and we put it off.
Fast forward to 2023 and I brought up the subject again in early June, right after Memorial Day and we ultimately made reservations for the middle of July and then fate stepped in at the end of June to put a wrench into those plans. We were driving back on a Saturday morning on U.S. Route 1 south in Danvers, Massachusetts from an early breakfast at the Agawam Diner in Rowley when a Deer ran into my 2022 Mazda CX-5. The front corner on the driver’s side of the car was damaged badly and subsequently deemed totaled by the insurance company. This screwed things up for the proposed trip to the Poconos so we cancelled the reservation. By the middle of July we had purchased a 2023 CX-5 and were back in business. So when the dust had settled by the time mid- August rolled around, I proposed to make reservations again for the Pocono trip and it was decided to happen in early September.
So, on September 10th, we set out on our little excursion taking Interstate 84 from Massachusetts thru Connecticut making a breakfast stop at the Vernon Diner in Vernon, CT, a totally convenient and easy off/on from the highway. This diner does a tremendous business, housed in a former Howard Johnson’s Reataurant.
Vernon Diner, Vernon, Connecticut. September 10, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
We continued on I-84 as far as the western part of Danbury, where we got off the interstate and continued on U.S. Route 6 west crossing the state line at Brewster, NY and took it thru to Port Jervis, NY. I had traveled on parts of this road in New York State but never the whole length (approx. 77 miles). On the way across New York State on Route 6, I stopped to photograph the Olympic Diner in Mahopac, New York.
Olympic Diner, Mahopac, New York. September 10, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
We arrived in Port Jervis close to 1:00pm and I contacted my friend Maria Pagelos Wall to let her know I was a few minutes away from her diner – the Village Diner of Milford, PA. I first photographed the Village Diner on November 27, 1981. It is a wonderfully preserved late model Mountain View Diner.
Village Diner, Milford, Pennsylvania. November 27, 1981 photo by Larry Cultrera
Village Diner, Milford, Pennsylvania. September 10, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
I have been “Facebook friends” with Maria for a good ten years or so but we have never met face-to-face. Her family bought the Village Diner in the early 1990s and Maria is currently operating the diner with her brother and a very able staff. We have spoken on the phone a couple of times over the years and the vibes I got from Maria was that she was a very warm and giving person! Denise and I got to the diner a good 15 minutes before Maria arrived. This gave me enough time to take a bunch of new photos before we went in and ordered lunch. We spent some time talking with Maria and we had a very pleasant visit. It was so very nice to finally connect with her!
Maria Wall with Myself and Denise at the Village Diner. September 10, 2023 photo.
Interior of the Village Diner. September 10, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior of the Village Diner. September 10, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
After lunch at the Village we drove about 30 minutes south on Route 209 to the Pocono Palace and checked in. We basically were in for the rest of the day. The next morning after breakfast at the resort, we ventured out toward Stroudsburg. I went searching for the Arlington Diner and got some photos of it.
Arlington Diner, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. September 11, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
On the way back from Stroudsburg, I decided to stop and take photos of the now closed Four Seasons Diner. This was originally a 1970s vintage Kullman Diner known as the Pocono Queen Diner on Route 209 in Marshalls Creek. I first photographed it on March 20, 1982 and actually ate there in October of 1991 when Denise and I were on our honeymoon.
Pocono Queen Diner, Marshalls Creek. Pennsylvania. March 20, 1982 photo by Larry Cultrera
Sometime in the 1990s, the diner was completely remodeled by Kullman and made to look like a modern stainless steel retro diner. Unfortunately, it has had a very spotted history since and been operated under at least two or three different names since, (the last being the Four Seasons Diner) and has currently been closed for quite sometime. It is currently sitting derelict and pieces of stainless steel trim are falling off the building.
Four Seasons Diner, Marshalls Creek, Pennsylvania. September 11, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
That same early afternoon we headed back into East Stroudsburg and had an ice cream at Jimmy’s Ice Cream, instead of having a light lunch. While we were in the area I went and located Besecker’s Diner. I had photographed this place back on April 2, 1983. Back then it was a fairly original, late model Silk City Diner from the early 1950s.
Besecker’s Diner, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. April 2, 1983 photo by Larry Cultrera
When I saw it last in 1991, I was saddened to see that they had added on a brick building to the front of the diner, presumably for increased seating. At that time I chose not to photograph it. I decided this time around to document it with a couple of photos.
Besecker’s Diner, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. September 11, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera. This angle shows that the original diner is still intact behind the newer addition.
We then got back to the resort and we took a couple of photos by the entrance sign on the road leading into the place. I took one of Denise by the sign and she took one of me. Another couple were riding bicycles in the area and the nice young man stopped and took a photo of both Denise and myself.
Myself and Denise at the entrance sign to the Pocono Palace. September 11, 2023 photo.
The next morning (Tuesday the 12th of September) we had made plans to meet up with Michael Gabriele to have lunch at the Blairstown Diner in Blairstown, New Jersey. The border with New Jersey is actually the Delaware River and there are three ways to get from that section of Pennsylvania to New Jersey over the river. Two up near Milford, Route 206 just outside Milford heading south on Route 209 and then further south on 209 at Dingman’s Ferry. The third way to get across is by taking the Columbia – Portland Bridge southeast of Stroudsburg, either taking Interstate 80 or Route 611. We ended up going north to Milford and walking around the little downtown area. I managed to get three new photos of the Milford Diner. I first photographed this on February 26, 1982 and then again sometime in November, 1987 (according to the date stamp on the 35mm slide). This is an early 1970s Manno Diner with a brick and mansard facade. It has stayed remarkably intact and pretty original to the way it was built, with the exception of a section added on to the right hand side of the diner.
Milford Diner, Milford, Pennsylvania. November, 1987 photo by Larry Cultrera
Milford Diner, Milford, Pennsylvania. September 12, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
We took Route 206 over to New Jersey and made our way south toward Blairstown. I knew we would go by a couple of diners I photographed in the 1980s on the way. The first was the former Five Star Diner in Branchville, New Jersey, now operating as Victoria Diner. The first photo is from October, 1987, where the original monitor roof was visible.
Five Star Diner, Branchville, New Jersey. October, 1987 photo by Larry Cultrera
When I photographed it this time it had a new hip-roof added over the original, more than likely to help the old diner from leaking in inclement weather.
Victoria Diner, Branchville, New Jersey. September 12, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
The next diner we were going by was Yetter’s Diner in Augusta, New Jersey. When I photographed this diner in the 1980s, it was a fairly small 1950s vintage Kullman Diner.
Yetter’s Diner, Augusta, New Jersey. March 20, 1982 photo by Larry Cultrera
I knew that in the intervening years, the diner was bought by newer owners and they replaced the old Kullman diner with a newer used Mediterranean style diner with stone and mansard exterior as well as arched windows. So I was happy to document this newer version on this bright sunny day….
Yetter’s Diner, Augusta, New Jersey. September 12, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
We made it down to Blairstown earlier than anticipated so I stopped across the street to take a bunch of photos of the Blairstown Diner. The light was great and they came out fantastic. I first came across the Blairstown back in the 1980s. I first photographed it on December 29, 1984 and then again in March of 1990. This was a rare model built by Paramount Diners known as the Roadking. The setup was different from 99% of other diners. The cooking area was actually up against the front windows. When one sat at the counter you were facing the grill area and then the front windows beyond. Interesting historical note on the Blairstown Diner, it became famous for appearing in a scene in the 1980 film Friday the 13th
Blairstown Diner, Blairstown, New Jersey. March, 1990 photo by Larry Cultrera. The diner as it was with the original exterior before it was redone by PMC Diners.
In 2005, the owners of the diner wanted to upgrade the appearance and called in Paramount Modular Concepts (PMC Diners), the successor to Paramount Diners and they reconfigured the exterior and updated the interior as well. The doors on the front were replaced by windows and a new door was added slightly off center. All new stainless steel with red stripes and a new parapet were added to the outside. The inside changes included the section of counter and stools on the right hand side were removed and the cinder block dining room & kitchen addition was redone to make it all look factory-built and match the newer updated interior of the diner section. All cooking was removed to a rear kitchen.
Exterior of Blairstown Diner, Blairstown, New Jersey. September 12, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior of dining room at Blairstown Diner. September 12, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior of dining room at Blairstown Diner. September 12, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior of Blairstown Diner with owner Gary D. Wishnia and Michael Gabriele. September 12, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Denise and I outside the Blairstown Diner. September 12, 2023 photo by Michael Gabriele.
On Wednesday the 13th of September, we started the journey home retracing the route we took down to the Poconos. We checked out of the resort around 7:00am and drove back to Milford for breakfast at the Milford Diner. Then we got back into New York state on Route 6 and I took a little detour when we got to Middletown. I wanted to revisit the Colonial Diner in that town. I actually had lunch there back on March 21, 1987 and the diner was pretty much in original condition at that time, the way it came from the Manno Diner Company.
Colonial Diner, Middletown, New York. March 21, 1987 photo by Larry Cultrera
The diner went thru an update since I last saw it. It is the same diner but looks completely different now…
Colonial Diner, Middletown, New York. September 13, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
After that we made it back toward Connecticut with one stop in Mohegan Lake, New York to photograph the Mohegan Diner. We passed it on the way to the Poconos but it was raining pretty hard so I was happy to get some decent shots on the way home…
Mohegan Diner, Mohegan Lake, New York. September 13, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
We had one pit-stop on the way home thru Connecticut when we got off I-84 in Newtown and had a snack at the Blue Colony Diner. After that, it was a straight shot home, arriving back around early afternoon.
Denise and I took a little road trip on Memorial Day weekend to the Bennington, Vermont area. It was partially to celebrate a milestone birthday and also to just get the cobwebs cleared and the wandering juices flowing. The destination for this excursion was inspired by the publishing of the wonderful book by Peter Crabtree and Caitlin Randall that celebrated the long-time ownership of the Blue Benn Diner by the Monroe family (see my blog post from last year https://dinerhotline.wordpress.com/2022/08/18/a-recently-published-limited-edition-book-is-a-tribute-to-the-monroe-family-and-sonnys-blue-benn-diner/). The Monroe’s recently turned the reins of the diner over to John Getchell in the last couple of years and John has graciously extended an invitation to me to come and experience the diner. After reading the book, I have been wanting to revisit this diner and decided to take John up on his invitation.
Also while reading this book, I realized that I had photographed the diner 3 times in the 1980s but lamented the fact that I only actually had one meal in the diner on my first visit, way back in 1982. In fact, those times driving thru Bennington were just that – driving thru without spending any decent amount of time there!
So Friday May 26th we set out around 7:00 AM, making our way from Saugus over to Arlington to jump on Mass. State Route 2 heading west. It was a beautiful sunny morning, just right for starting a little excursion. In point of fact the weather was totally fantastic from start to finish those 3 days on the road! With one pit stop in Gardner, Massachusetts, we made it out to Greenfield before 9:00 AM. We then headed north on Route 5 and were in Brattleboro, Vermont by 9:30.
Crossing the town line into Brattleboro I perused (but did not photograph) two diners I had previously photographed in the early 1980s. One was known as Jad’s Family Restaurant circa 1983. This is a 1940s vintage Kullman Diner buried within another building (the right side wall is visible from the exterior while the diner is almost totally intact on the interior). In recent years it was operating as the Flamingo Diner but according to the internet, it is permanently closed.
Jad’s Family Restaurant, Brattleboro, VT May 22, 1983 photo by Larry Cultrera
Flamingo Diner, 209 Canal Street, Brattleboro, VT Google Street view
The second diner was previously known as Ed’s Diner, a 1920s vintage Worcester Lunch Car, located at 105 Canal Street. The diner has changed hands many times in the last forty years and in that interim has been completely redone and unrecognizable now, currently operating as Vegan AF Restaurant.
Ed’s Diner, Brattleboro, VT November 26, 1982 photo by Larry Cultrera
Vegan A.F., Brattleboro, VT Google Street view.
Coming into downtown Brattleboro I took a left turn to revisit and photograph T.J. Buckley’s Uptown Dining located at 132 Elliot Street, another 1920s diner that had a previous life in North Woburn, Massachusetts as Shipper’s Diner. Shipper’s was replaced in North Woburn by Jack’s Diner, Worcester Lunch Car No. 834 in 1952. Shipper’s went back to the Worcester Lunch Car factory for a complete update inside and out before relocating to Brattleboro. By the time I originally saw the diner in the early 1980s it had been reborn as an upscale eatery serving a Prix Fixe menu (for those who do not know, a prix fixe (a French term meaning “fixed price”) is a menu that offers a full meal at a set rate. Typically, that means diners get three courses consisting of an appetizer, entrée, and dessert.
So, I did get a few shots of T. J. Buckley’s but was thwarted from getting all the shots I really wanted by a parked car that screwed up a couple of them…
T.J. Buckley’s Uptown Dining, Brattleboro, VT May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
T.J. Buckley’s Uptown Dining, Brattleboro, VT May 26,2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Before we left downtown Brattleboro, we stopped for a snack at Amy’s Bakery Arts Cafe prior to heading west on State Route 9 toward our next destination, the currently closed and “For Sale” Chelsea Royal Diner in West Brattleboro. I had previously photographed this diner at another location twice in the early 1980s but never got to this location until now.
original Royal Diner neon sign at the Chelsea Royal Diner, West Brattleboro, VT. May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Chelsea Royal Diner, West Brattleboro, VT May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Chelsea Royal Diner, West Brattleboro, VT May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
The first time I saw this diner it had been used as part of the Royal Yard Restaurant located off of Route 5, north of downtown Brattleboro.
Royal Diner at Royal Yard Restaurant, Brattleboro, VT November 26, 1982 photo by Larry Cultrera
When the diner was first delivered to Brattleboro it was originally close to downtown as seen in the next photo…
Royal Diner at original Brattleboro location photo from my collection
I also have an image that came from photographer/illustrator Ken Brown circa 1977. He printed some postcards back in the day and this one shows the diner after it moved from downtown and before it got to the Royal Yard Restaurant location…
Royal Diner in storage prior to being located at the Royal Yard Restaurant Ken Brown post card circa 1977, from my collection.
After taking the photos of the Chelsea Royal Diner, we continued west on Route 9 toward Bennington. Now the only other time I traveled this route was the first time I visited Bennington on November 26, 1982. When I left Brattleboro on that day it was overcast and sort of gloomy, but otherwise decent travel-wise. I guess it was around halfway to Bennington when I drove into a substantial snow storm. The road became a little treacherous and I had to really be cautious and concentrate on driving this road through the Green Mountain National Forest. In fact because of this, I did not recall much about this road from that trip.
Needless to say this current drive on Memorial Day Weekend in 2023, I did not recognize one mile of this road from the trip in 1982! This trip went faster than I anticipated and we got to Bennington before noon-time. Luckily we were able to check in early to our reserved room at the Hampton Inn and unpack for the 2 days we would be there. We then drove to the Blue Benn Diner and had a nice lunch.
Lunch stop at the Blue Benn Diner May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior view of the Blue Benn Diner May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Interior view of the Blue Benn Diner May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Unfortunately even though Blue Benn owner John Getchell knew that we were due to arrive, he was actually not at the diner. I texted him while we were waiting for our food and the next thing I knew, the Diner’s land line telephone was ringing. The waitress brought the portable phone over to our booth and I spoke with John who apologized for not being available. He promised to try to get together the next day. So after lunch, we decided to take in the Bennington Battle Monument. High on a hill west of downtown, this Revolutionary War Monument has stunning views in all directions. Here are a couple of photos from below….
The Bennington Battle Monument May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
The Bennington Battle Monument May 26, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
When we finished with the Monument we Googled the address for Peter Crabtree and paid him a visit. He signed my copy of the Blue Benn book. I again thanked him for prominently using one of my 1982 photos of the Blue Benn on the front of the dust jacket of the book, I told him it was an honor to have one of my photos displayed like that!
The next morning we had breakfast at the Blue Benn around 6:15 AM, right after they opened for the day. John was hoping to meet us but never made it while we were there. I wanted to get some morning exterior shots of the diner and the sun was up when we were leaving after breakfast but there was a shadow from trees across the street directly obscuring the diner. So we drove into town and I found an open convenience store to obtain a local newspaper (I am addicted to newsprint and need my daily fix). On the way back thru town from our little errand I noticed the sun had cleared the top of the trees and the diner was in full sunlight. The following photos are the result….
Early morning photo of the Blue Benn Diner May 27, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Early morning photo of the Blue Benn Diner May 27, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Back to the hotel to regroup and read the newspaper. We finalized our plans to head northeast to Weston, VT to visit the Vermont Country Store. We constantly receive catalogs in the mail and have bought quite a few items from this place. I had just received a gift card from Denise’s sister Sarah for my birthday and thought it would be great to peruse this sprawling establishment. We were on the road probably before 9:00 AM and while driving, I got a text from John Getchell. So instead of answering the text, I rang him up (hands free in the car of course). He apologized for not meeting us earlier and we made plans to meet up at the diner in the early afternoon.
On the way to Weston, we stopped briefly at Bob’s Diner in Manchester, VT. This is an on-site built diner that was not there the last time I was in the area circa 1988. It was doing a brisk business so I took 4 photos before we went on our way to Weston.
Bob’s Diner, Manchester, VT May 27, photo by Larry Cultrera
Bob’s Diner, Manchester, VT May 27, photo by Larry Cultrera
Bob’s Diner, Manchester, VT May 27, photo by Larry Cultrera
Bob’s Diner, Manchester, VT May 27, photo by Larry Cultrera
After our visit to the Vermont Country Store we got back to Bennington by noon time and had a quick lunch at a Pizza Hut. We had not had a meal at a Pizza Hut in probably 20 years or so as they have pretty much disappeared from the Metro-Boston area where we live. I dropped Denise at the hotel and I went over and finally connected with John Getchell. We had a nice visit and he took me on a tour of the kitchen (where all the action happens) and basement of the diner where the supplies and other miscellaneous things are stored. I also got to meet John’s pet “puppy” Pookie, a Cane Corso.
John Getchell and Pookie May 27, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Well that was pretty much all we planned to do on our trip, so the next morning we checked out of the hotel at 5:00 AM and headed south on Route 7 to Williamstown, Massachusetts. We stopped briefly at a Dunkin’ Donuts in North Adams for a quick, on-the road breakfast as we were too early for any normal breakfast joints to be open. We then took the Mohawk Trail (Route 2 east) thru the Berkshire Hills to get home. It was such a beautiful morning drive, I stopped in Charlemont to take photos of the Hail to the Sunrise Statue at Mohawk Park.
Hail to the Sunrise Statue at Mohawk Park, Charlemont, Mass. May 28, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Hail to the Sunrise Statue at Mohawk Park, Charlemont, Mass. May 28, 2023 photo by Larry Cultrera
Overall, I feel that spending some time in southwest Vermont was long overdue, the area is a nice mix of mountains and farm land, with plenty of scenic views. I also like that it is very close to the Capitol District of upstate New York and within a short drive to the Adirondacks and one of my favorite places, Lake George. After the Mohawk Trail, we made a stop for coffee just off Route 2 in Turners Falls at the Shady Glen Diner and got home around 10:00 AM. All in all, this was a tremendous weekend, weather-wise to be out on the road. It makes me hopeful for other possible road trips in the near future!
Well, it’s that time of year where I mark the anniversary of taking my first 35mm photo of a diner. As regular readers of this blog know, that first Diner photo was the following photo…
By-Pass Diner of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
November 29, 1980 photo by Larry Cultrera
In looking back on these last decades there was an unofficial pattern of going on road trips over Thanksgiving weekend. So I did some digging and found some images of diners I had photographed on the Thanksgiving weekends in the years from 1980 until now. It seems there were actually only 10 of those weekends between 1980 and 2022. Now granted, on some of those weekends in the early 1980s that I photographed more than a handful of places, so I will only choose one diner from each of those trips to be representative from the year.
Olympia Diner, Newington, Connecticut
November 27, 1981 photo by Larry Cultrera
Ed’s Diner, Brattleboro, Vermont
November 26, 1982 photo by Larry Cultrera
Market Diner, New York, New York
November 25, 1983 photo by Larry Cultrera
Libby’s Diner, Manchester Center, Vermont (never opened here)
November 27, 1987 photo by Larry Cultrera
Andros Diner, Belmont Massachusetts
November 27, 1993 photo by Larry Cultrera
Old Lunch Wagon /derelict cabin, Brookfield, Massachusetts
November 24, 2006 photo by Larry Cultrera
Roundabout Diner, Portsmouth, New Hampshire (former Howard Johnson’s Restaurant)
After three years I am finally doing a “live” Power Point Presentation on Diners. Titled “From Lunch Carts to Mega-Restaurants, the Evolution of Diners”. The host for this presentation is The Marlborough Historical Society and the event will be held in conjunction with the Historical Society’s monthly meeting on Tuesday evening, November 15th at The Main Street Cafe , 182 Main Street in downtown Marlborough. The society’s business meeting starts at 6:00 pm and my presentation will start directly after the meeting’s conclusion.The event is open to the public and there will be parking available in the area.
The Main Street Cafe, 182 Main Street in Marlborough, Massachusetts
I almost cannot believe 15 years have gone by since I started this weblog !!!!
I know I have been writing this blog for a while and sometimes the posts are not too regular, but we just passed October 31st and I suddenly realized that day marked 15 years of this weblog! I would have posted something yesterday but my schedule was filled with various appointments. Also I have been getting a revised Diner Presentation together for The Marlborough (Massachusetts) Historical Society that I will be doing in exactly 2 weeks. The presentation is actually 99 percent together but as these things go, I keep on adding to it when something occurs to me that should be in the show. This will be the first “LIVE” presentation since before COVID happened and the first one for an Historical Society in quite some time.
Anyway, as I do every year at this time, I like to acknowledge the day I started writing the blog as it still is my one semi-steady outlet to impart info on diners and other roadside stuff, as well as show off my photos in a place other than Facebook. As I look toward finishing my seventh decade coming up in just over a half a year, I sometimes cannot believe that this little interest (all right, it is an obsession) with diners has gone on so long. As most people who follow this blog know, that interest in diners goes back to my childhood and really took hold when I started getting into 35mm photography and took photos of some of the diners I was visiting in 1980. All I can say is, thanks for following along and maybe we can sit down at a local diner somewhere and enjoy a meal and some camaraderie in the future!
P.S. the presentation on Diners will be on November 15, 2022 at The Main Street Cafe, 182 Main Street in Marlborough, Mass.. The Marlborough Historical Society will hold a business meeting at 6:00 pm and I will be going on right after…. there will be another post here with all the details and some photos within the next week or so.
Current photo of East Shore Diner courtesy of CBS 21, Harrisburg, PA
It had been reported within the last year or so that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the I-83 Capital Beltway interchange project and the possibility of displacing businesses in the process. One of the redesigned interchanges includes some land taking along the area where the highway intersects with Cameron Street exactly where the East Shore Diner, a vintage Jerry O’Mahony diner has operated since the early 1950s.
The current owner Bill Katsifis, who bought the former Ray’s Diner in the early 1980s after it had been closed for a time, co-owns the business with his wife, Dorothy Katsifis, said they want to move the diner to another location in Harrisburg. In an article reported by Sue Gleiter of Pennlive.com on November 01, 2021, according to Katsifis, negotiations had stalled over the amount of financial compensation PennDOT is willing to pay and whether the agency will cover upfront expenses to relocate the diner.
Bill and Dorothy Katsifis, courtesy of East Shore Diner
He said he has no intention of blocking PennDOT’s acquisition of the diner’s 3/4-acre property and just wants to be fairly compensated and not be left with debt, especially when the diner’s mortgage is already paid off. “It’s so sad. I’m 61 years old and I have a diner. I have a business. I have it all. I told them I’m begging you to let me keep what I have,” Katsifis said.
PennDOT District 8 spokesman David Thompson said the diner is considered a dislocated business and the owner entitled to compensation for the value of the real estate, as well as business relocation assistance and benefits. PennDOT’s multi-year, multi-contract project is intended to widen an eight-mile stretch of I-83 from four to eight lanes. Recently, the rebuild of a northbound portion of I-83 between I-81 and just south of the Union Deposit Road interchange reopened with final improvements scheduled to be completed by next spring.
I was contacted right after re-posting the news on my personal Facebook page by my old friend Ed Womer who lives in the area. He offered to go over and take some current photos of the diner for me….
December 1, 2021 photo by Ed WomerDecember 1, 2021 photo by Ed WomerDecember 1, 2021 photo by Ed WomerDecember 1, 2021 photo by Ed Womer
Earlier this spring, the diner was offering a new t-shirt announcing their Farewell Tour. My friend Wendy Van Hove was gracious enough to send me one of which I wear proudly…
yours truly sporting an East Shore Diner Farewell Tour t-shirt
On August 17, 2022, the diner posted this announcement on their Facebook page to officially announce the following statement…
Change is never easy and as many of you may know, our family business – our East Shore Diner is being forced to relocate by PennDOT’s I-83 Expansion Project. Therefor we are making adjustments to our family business and have some news to share.Given the tough circumstances, we have stayed open as long as possible. So it is with a heavy heart that we must first announce the closing of the East Shore Diner. Our last day will be September 1, 2022.
We have been a part of the community for 38 years and we are saddened to have to close our current operations. Bill Katsifis started this business with his Dad in the fall of 1984 and worked tirelessly and passionately to make this Diner the best it could be for his family, his employees and his customers. Throughout the many years, everyone who walked in for their shift or a bite to eat, has become friends and in many ways, turned into an extension of our family! Together we have been through quite the journey of both Covid and tough times as the East Shore Diner family. We want to deeply thank all of the employees and customers we’ve had throughout the years. We wouldn’t be where we are today without each and every one of you!
We will be moving our historic O’Mahony diner building to a new location. While due to our changes, we will no longer be called the “East Shore Diner”, the heart and soul we all created will remain. We are excited for our new journey to officially begin and sincerely hope to continue to see familiar faces visit us in our new venture. We cannot thank our wonderful staff enough and all our East Shore Diner family for your support and love and friendship. We are forever grateful, keep checking our Facebook page for more updates on the exciting future of our family business!
Shortly after this, I contacted Bill Katsifis and our conversation went like this… (LAC)Hi Bill, I understand that the diner is closing on September 1st. I heard you will be moving it to Mechanicsburg…. (BK)Hi Larry, how are you? Yes, September 1st is our last work day. We’re moving the diner sometime in October to Mechanicsburg, I’m happy that we get to keep it in the family. We purchased the property and had the foundation permit approved so everything looks good I’ll message you when we’re getting closer to the move thanks again. We have to save as many of these diners as we can.
This is great news when another vintage diner will get to live and operate again in a new location! When this diner was installed in the early 1950s, it operated as Seybold’s Diner…. It has a somewhat unique set-up as it was built as an “L” shaped unit with two sections. These sections comprised of a large front section that faced Cameron Street and a smaller section that was attached to the right rear of the front section. Both of these pieces wrapped around the front and right side of an on-site constructed cinder block building that housed the kitchen and rest rooms. This configuration fooled me as there was a similar diner in the Harrisburg area, the Decoven Diner, that was approximately the same age and had an “L” shaped dining area. The difference between the Decoven and Seybold’s was the rear section of the Decoven was the same length as the front section. So that diner had a factory kitchen and rest rooms instead of an on-site addition.
Postcard of Seybold’s Diner from the early 1950s
My own personal history with this diner goes back to early in 1981 when I was visiting my friends, Steve Repucci and Ed Womer in the Harrisburg area. It was called Ray’s Diner at that point but was closed. It had “Sheriff’s Sale posters in a few of the windows but was completely intact on the interior, (FYI, a Sheriff’s sale is basically an auction to sell equipment and other property to help get money from a mortgage foreclosure). Later on, probably when I first photographed it on November 27, 1981, Ed Womer (who took the recent photos last December, see above) drove me over from his place so I could take my first two photos of Ray’s Diner, months after the Sheriff’s sale. I took a look inside and saw the interior of the diner was completely stripped! No counter, stools, booths or back-bar equipment, the place was completely bare.
November 27, 1981 photo by Larry CultreraNovember 27, 1981 photo by Larry CultreraFebruary 19, 1984 photo by Larry CultreraFebruary 19, 1984 photo by Larry CultreraFebruary 19, 1984 photo by Larry Cultrera
Seeing the interior completely bare, I thought this diner would never survive. Luckily, I was wrong – as stated above, the Katsifis family eventually purchased the empty diner in 1984 and spent some time, effort and money into replacing the gutted interior with new counters, stools, etc and re-opened the diner in 1985.
January 1, 1985 photo by Larry CultreraJanuary 1, 1985 photo by Larry CultreraJanuary 1, 1985 photo by Larry Cultrera
I wish the Katsifis family well on the up-coming transition and will be following up with the progress. I am also curious as to what the new operating name will be once it opens in Mechanicsburg.
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