That is me on the right with my late friend Owen Abdalian (former owner, Main Street Diner, Woburn, Mass. circa 1993)
My name is Larry Cultrera and I have been conducting a personal research project on documenting the American Diner. Since November of 1980 I have photographed 807 diners throughout the northeast including all the New England states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland & Ohio, as well as parts of Florida, Tennessee, Michigan and Virginia. I have also photographed other selected businesses/buildings along the roadside and have a fairly large collection of postcards and memorabilia.
I have been a member of the Society for Commercial Archeology since 1981. I am starting this blog (October 31, 2007) to carry on where my Diner Hotline column for the Society for Commercial Archeology’s Journal magazine leaves off. I retired the column after 19 years of writing for both the SCA NewsJournal (and then the Journal) and have decided to take it in a new direction. In the old column I mostly talked about news that primarily focused on diners. With this blog, I am going to branch out to talk about other roadside related things as well.
I love your site! I worked at Carrolls from December 1973 through May of 1974, while finishing up my BA at Tufts. I’d taken a lot of extra courses so only had to do one more to graduate, freeing up time to work as a waitress. My friend Carey and I shared a house with two other women on the north side of the Tufts campus (can’t remember the name of the street) and worked at Carroll’s Colonial Diner from 4:30 in the afternoon until about 3 am. The best shift: early dinner, normal dinner, late dinner, post movie crowd and the late night cabbies and policemen. I was paid $1:00 an hour (minimum wage then) but averaged at least $5.00 an hour in tips.
Larry-
Wishing you all the best with this blog and the new direction it will be headed in. We will miss you at the SCA Journal, but it is great that you, and your writing and photos, will still be available here. Hope your audience increases, you continue your travels, and we get to share your discoveries for a long time.
Long-time fan and fellow SCA member.
Jack Murphy
Wonderful blog! I love diners, as you possibly can tell from my flickr sets. I love to eat in them, as well as photograph them, and I will drive many miles to do so!
Happy New Year and keep up the good work!
Thanks Gail, I like your photos on Flickr!
Hello,
I enjoyed your Blog. Where is the diner that is your page top photo?
I just started posting on Flickr (milkbottledude) diners I come across. Got interested in researching old diners as I came across a 1963 Valentine diner, Ma’s Coffee Pot & Diner in South Haven Michigan. Now I’m looking to purchase a classic diner.
Thanks,
Tom
Tom, If you check back to the early posts on my blog you will find “Diner in my Header”. That will tell you a little about it. The diner has not existed since the late 1980’s. There wasn’t much left by then.
Larry,
I was in Peabody today, Sunday and the Little Depot Diner is now open, formerly The Railroad Diner (Kurlands).I did not stop in because I was on my way to the Salem Diner, Excellent breakfast and a very pleasant new owner.
bob higgins
Larry,
The Mr. Peanut sign on route 1 was one of my favorite signs as a kid. More important to me was the Mr. Peanut walking and waving to the cars driving by route 1 on the sidewalk. I thought he was real!
If you remember on the packages of planters peanuts, you could send away for a Mr. Peanut Bank…….Well I did and waited for the mailman every day for at least a month. Finally……….The Mr. Peanut bank arrived (blue in color), so I placed it on the Mantel above the fireplace, out of the reach of my Brother Jack!
When I arrived home from elementry school the day after receiving the bank, I FOUND IT WITH THE BASE OF IT BROKEN, unable to stand up……..I was so upset!
I was so bummed. I remember to this day that the 1st thing I ordered in the mail only lasted less than 24 hours.
I loved that blue plastic Mr. Peanut bank!
True Story.
Good Luck,
Jim Harkins
Jimmy, I believe it. Things like that stay with you. Did you beat the crap out of Jack (sounds like he was the likely suspect)? We never stopped there, at least you guys did.
Hi Larry,
My name is Michael Perlman, and I am a preservationist from Forest Hills. I enjoyed reading about your background, and this is a great site! Thanks!
I consider diners the “ultimate public institutions,” and preservation & reuse priorities. I founded the Committee To Save The Moondance Diner over a year ago, and fellow enthusiast Kyle Supley was also highly integral. We worked with the developers, and it was donated to the American Diner Museum, which in turn, sold it to a couple in WY. I take pride that the Moondance Diner has gained a new lease on life, and will possibly be reopening this June.
I am disheartened to learn that another gem, NYC’s Cheyenne Diner on 9th & 33rd St, is closing its doors this Sunday. I am hoping the Cheyenne Diner will meet a similar fate, but hopefully remain closer to its roots. Please let me know if it will be okay to use your photo from 1986 depicting the Cheyenne as the Market Diner, and if so, how you wish to be quoted. Please e-mail me at unlockthevault@hotmail.com at your earliest convenience. Thank you!
Michael
[...] ’83 Cheyenne as Market Diner, courtesy of roadside photographer Larry Cultrera of Society for Commercial Archeology & Diner Hotline (http://dinerhotline.wordpress.com/about/): [...]
[...] ’83 Cheyenne as Market Diner, courtesy of roadside photographer Larry Cultrera of Society for Commercial Archeology & Diner Hotline (http://dinerhotline.wordpress.com/about/): [...]
hI Larry
Have you checked out the diner in the center of norwood mass.?
There’s a very unique diner in Natick behind the public safety building on rt.#135
Thanks for the call Larry. And I’ll be checking in regularly.
–Rich
What other diner has the interior of the O’Mahony?
Keith, Glad you got in touch with me! I have been meaning to get in touch with you. You are doing a fantastic job on the complete restoration of the old Tommy’s Diner! One of the best jobs I have ever seen. That diner needed someone like you to bring it back.
As far as your question, it reminds me of the title of a slide show I did back around 12 years ago. I called it “Is it a Fodero or an O’Mahony”? Most diner manufacturers did their own thing but indeed, there was copying between the different companies. In my opinion, O’Mahony and Fodero (during the 40’s and 50’s) had similar interiors to a certain degree usually with small differences.
Even DeRaffele had interiors with winged clocks (like Fodero) so to the untrained eye (and even the trained eye) it was hard to tell without a tag.
Exteriors even got close in their design between the different companies.
been in the business all my life worked in many many diners in new york and jersey finally have the finances to buy just cannot find one. any help you can give or info would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Larry,
I worked for the Richard’s Drive In folks, (a.k.a. General Cinema Corp) and later for WMEX
Adventure Car Hop also had a location (longest lasting) in Union New Jersey great photos (Where’d you find em?)
Even Arnie Ginsburg doesn’t remember what was in a “Ginsburger”
Happy Trails fm
Fred, I googled Adventure Car Hop. Also, did you know Bill Lawrence from his WMEX days? I used to pal around with his brother-in-law and we helped him do a couple of Oldies Record Hops.
Larry, What a great blog. I will share this with all of my friends. It’s a great history lesson. I’ll be in touch soon.
Hello!
I have been a diner fan since the 70s when I photographed any diner I ever visited. Now with kids, I like to stop in with them. You’ve prompted me to organize my photos! In taking a trip to visit my brother on CT/MA 395 isn’t there a Zippy’s diner somewhere? I’d love to stop off with the kiddos? Any other recommendations along that route?
Thanks!
Rene
Rene, Thanks for the compliment, glad to know that someone else may have been influenced (by what I do) to do something with their own diner photos. That’s great that you were documenting them in the 70’s! I wish I had started earlier. I shot my first diner photo in 1980. Part of the reason is I had figured out by that time that so many had disappeared that I recall from the 50’s and 60’s.
You are right, the diner you remember is Zip’s Diner in Dayville, CT, the intersection of I-395 and Rte. 101. Other diners in the area off I-395 is the Aero Diner on Rte. 6 in North Windham (near the airport) in the Willamantic area and another diner Mickey’s Windham Diner in Willamantic. These 2 are possibly 20 minutes to 35 minutes west of I-395
Dear Larry,
I don’t know if you remember me but I’m Owen’s niece Sathi. It’s been a while but I work in Woburn now and a bunch of my co-workers now go to the Thai Diner on Main street. It prompted me to search for your website. Thank you for remembering him in this way, I am touched to see that his picture and his memories are kept going on with your blog.
Sincerely,
Sathi
Sathi, it is great to hear from you! I will send an email to you.
If I could find the commercial lot to put it on I’d move it:
http://tinyurl.com/5ps385
White Tower For sale $1 in Ohio
Larry,it was great to hear from you. I really enjoy the pictures ,comments and the blogs.Keep up the good work.Gotta go,but I,ll stay in touch.
Hi Larry, I was also on vacation last week and was in southern Maine so we went to the Maine Diner in Wells for lunch one day and had the warm lobster roll with melted butter. The diner was very busy, as usual, but only a 5 or 7 minute wait for a booth. They really know how to feed a lot of people in a small space in a short time.
I also went up to Scarborough for some seafood and saw the new diner on Rt. 1, although we didn’t eat there, the parking lot looked almost full at noon.
Every restaurant up and down Route 1 was busy every day.
I guess they will be busy until sometime in September.
Bill, At least we had half way decent weather for the vacation. The warm lobster roll at the Maine Diner is always a good bet and a 7 or 8 minute wait is pretty good for that place. I’ve waited longer there. You are right, I have always said anyone who wants to run a diner could take lessons from the Henry family.
Hi Larry, I got your email about my 2nd book “Bobby’s Diner”. Yes and thank you for wanting to post the information to your wonderful webblog. As soon as I get the cover art for it I’ll email you with it. Can you email me through my website or blog so I can correspond with you outside the blog?
Also, have you ever heard of the Rocky Bay Cafe in Friday Harbor? It’s one of our most esteemed diners here on San Juan Island, WA!
If you would like, I’ll get you a photo and send it to you.
Let me know and thank you again for posting my newest novel on this blog!
Sincerely, Susan.
Larry,
Great blog. I love the diner photos and the news, although it makes me sad to read about great diners and signs thatgo by the wayside. Keep fighting the good fight, against the homogenization of the American roadside, and the disappearance of diners …
Your friend at the counter,
Michael Karl Witzel
Hi Larry – The Medford Historical Society is doing a transportation based series of lectures in 2008-09. Could you put together something about Medford roadside sites for a March lecture? YOu can reach me at the Medford LIbrary – 781-395-7950. Thanks!
Hey Larry, I see you’re still into diners! Great Blog, I’ll have to work a bit to catch up with the previous entries. I think I still have the business card you gave me 18 years ago with the Diner Archaeologist title on it.
I’ve always been a fan of diners, spending too may hours at Carroll’s Diner and Bob’s Diner (I think it was Bob’s, it was on Mystic Ave and torn down to put up Hosmer Pontiac). My primary pass time these days is motorcycling and diners are a great spot to stop for good food that’s reasonably quick.
I should take more pictures of the places I stop, though I suspect you’ve beaten me to all of them!
Phil
Phil old buddy. Great to hear from you! You memory is almost correct, it was Bobbie’s Diner (the “female” Bobbie). Bobbie’s son, Duke used to be the short order cook. I will send you an email.
Thanx for the correction Larry, I recall their “all-U-can-eat” spaghetti lunch on Saturdays. I worked a lot with a floor sander in the mid 60’s and it was his favorite place for lunch. They would start you off with a turkey platter of spaghetti and a meatball the size of a small melon! Those were the days!
Larry I just red the news in the Transcript about Carrolls and I was hoping it might metion that the Carrolls purchased the dining car on Riverside Ave. and moved it to the Main St. location. I was hoping there might be a picture of the old diner that I sold papers in back in the 30s. O well I guess I am going to far back.
Best Tom.
Tom, If you are thinking about the old Riverside Diner that was on Riverside Avenue until 1948 when it was forced to move for the development of the Medford Square Shopping Center, the Carroll family had nothing to do with that diner.
Their first diner was bought used reportedly from Reading, Mass. They operated that one from 1930 to 1948. It then became the kitchen for the 1948 stainless steel diner from 1948 to 1962.
The diner on Riverside Avenue was torn down according to all I could find out from the mocrofilm of the Medford Mercury.
Hi,Larry,it has been awhile since i,ve blogged you. I was wondering if you had any info on the EMPIRE DINER that i,ve been seeing on a SPRINT tv ad.Say hi to Denise,Dave and the rest of the gang.Oh,I guess Dave has a computer now.
JOHN BARRETT.
Hey John, thanks for checking out the blog periodically. I hope you and Sue are enjoying your new home in Georgia. We miss seeing you at Buddy’s but the diner is still going strong under Nicole’s management. The Empire Diner in the commercial is the famous one from New York City. I have not seen the commercial but googled the info and found reference to it.
Hello Larry,
I love that so many people are sharing diner information and keeping others informed of sales and moving of diners – they are such treasures!
Have you heard anything being done with the old Gateway Diner in Jeffersonville, PA on Ridge Pike? It’s been closed for a few years and I’m doing a Business Plan in my Small Business Mgmt class with the Gateway Diner in mind. I know that the former owner, Joe Phillips passed away and the family was not interested in keeping it in business. Do you know anything about this diner? I believe it could be revived and as I work on this business plan, I’m wondering if I could be a part of such a revival….I hadn’t planned on this business plan being anything more than a good exercise, but the Food Network channel show ‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ shows many (very hard-working) people are making a go of it with maybe less experience than drive. Any info would be much appreciated.
Thanks for your work on this blog!
Susan
Susan, I wish I knew what was happening with the Gateway Diner. My wife Denise and I ate breakfast there before we flew back from Philly after the Society for Commercial Archeology’s Diner Symposium (1993). It was in original condition and a beautiful example of a 1950’s vintage top-of-the-line Fodero diner. If ever there was a diner in need of a new loving owner who knew what they had, the Gateway is it!
Larry,I was turned on to your weblog by a coworker who worked with you previously. I was wondering if you knew of any diners here in mass that serve a jersey tradition “Taylor ham and egg” sandwiches. I am planning on opening a diner in the next few years and this is a wonderful site.
Larry, I just returned from a trip to the recently opened Miss Portland. The project appears to be a great success. The quality of the materials used, the workmanship, and the design appear to be exceptional. The attention to detail is very well done , especially in the new diner booths and tables in the dining room. I would recommend that anyone in the area stop in and see the work that has been done. There is plenty of parking beside the diner in a city lot. The only issue I had was that the hostess seats you. I wanted to eat in the original diner, she wanted to seat me at a table in the dining room. Her response to my request was that they had a seating system, the diner was very quiet and after a brief discussion I was able to sit in the diner but the hostess was not happy. The food was average and a little pricey. I can understand the prices when you see the investment that was made. Hash, eggs, toast and coffee was $11.13.
Larry
I found your site as I was surfing the web.
It’s Great!!
I was wondering if you know of any abandon Diners that may be available. I am looking in the mid west.
Any help would be deeply appreciated.
Your welcome to contact me at 586 855 0139
Thanks agian
Dominic
As a travel writer, and lover of such places, I was glad to find this site. Kudos to you for all of your work (sounds like a great deal of fun as well!) and for putting this site together.
Best,
Max
Hey Max, thanks for the kind words about Diner Hotline! I enjoy doing this and sharing with other Diner lovers.
Hi Larry,
I just found out that Norm’s Diner in Groton, CT is open again with a new owner. Waitress Brenda Trask got the diner as an early Christmas present from her husband Mark.
See the story at for 12/8/08.
Bill Waterhouse
Website for story is “theday.com” newspaper dated 12/8/08
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=ea476979-15d8-44d7-9550-b4d40070c727
Hi Larry;
My wife and I have enjoyed your blog for a number of months. When I saw the picture of the Bostonian Diner in Meriden, Ct. I had forgotten about the postcard we had bought in April, 1961. We had stopped there for breakfast, on our way to Philadelphia, the day after we were married. The post card was sent to our parents in Lowell, Ma.
Both of us enjoy eating at diners, the food is always great and we have taken about 50 pictures of diners, mostly in the New England area. Keep up the good work.
Hey Paul & Phyllis,
Thanks for the kind words about Diner Hotline, I’m glad you like it! Like you, I recall that my wife and I stopped for breakfast at Wilson’s Diner in Waltham when we left for our honeymoon the day after our wedding in 1991. We were headed for the Poconos and we also stopped at the I-84 Diner in Fishkill, NY on the way. Wilson’s is still the same, the I-84 Diner has been enlarged and updated since.
Love Diner Hotline, I just opened up the first Prairie City Diner in Red Deer Alberta Canada
Business is good!
Hi Larry,
I just found out that the Star Diner in East Providence R.I. on Rt. 1A, Newport Ave. is supposed to open up next week. Do you have any more info on this? The Sanford family are friends of mine but I haven’t talked to them in a while. I’ll try and find out when the date is. I’ve been waiting for this day for years.
Bill
You know about as much as I do. I also know the Sanfords but have not heard from them in many years. As far as I know they still have connections to the ADM.
Back again,
I found a recent story online at that was in the Bridgeport, CT Post dated Jan. 24th, called “Diners: You know them, they know you”. It mentions about 6 diners in that area.
Thought you might like it.
Bill
I just found this site today looking for ww2 era diners still active just out of curiosity and realized many of them are on the east coast. Can you tell me if there any on the west coast? I live north of Seattle but I am originally from So Calif. I cant remember ever seeing a diner while growing up in California. I lived in the city of Upland 50miles east of Los Angeles.
Thanks,I really liked this site
Pete
Hi Larry, Just wanted to let you know that The Star Diner is OPEN …Monday – Wednesday 6 am – 2 pm, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 6 am – 8 pm, Sunday serving breakfast only 6 am – 1 pm. Hope all is well with you and your family. We also have our Tarry Room available for functions. Hope you can drop in for a visit. Bethany Smith
Hi, Larry.
I am finishing a post this weekend highligting Little Tavern in our area. I found your site through Diner Hunter. Great site. I have added a link to your site in my sidebar under Boomer Memories – Food, and will be featuring your Little Tavern coverage in a special group of Links devoted to Little Tavern information once I publish the post.
Thanks.
Enjoying your site. Can you tell me if there is a street address on the Never touched us Diner Postcard?
Hi, Marianne,
Thanks for the kind words about Diner Hotline! I have been aware of that card for close to 30 years and have had it in my collection for probably 25 years. I never knew where exactly it was in downtown Chelsea. The fire zone from the 1908 Chelsea fire (I believe that was the date, off the top of my head) was quite large and at that time they had quite a few horse-drawn lunch wagons in the area. This one was larger and was more than likely the more typical diner interior configuration that we are used to (counter going length-wise) as opposed to the lunch wagon interior (serving counter across the width, stools around the perimeter). If there were any business listings for the city for 1908 it would have been listed (if it made the list) as the Vienna Cafe, which is the actual name of the car.
I’m driving from New York City, NY to Virginia Beach, VA via the I-95 for most of the way. I’m vacationing out of Los Angeles and would LOVE a rec for a great breakfast diner spot along the way!
Mike,
Being that it has been many years since I even travelled that corridor (I-95 between NY & Virginia) It would be tough to recommend a place for stopping for breakfast. Actually though one place that springs to mind and is a classic 1950’s diner that is just off I-95 in Aberdeen, MD. It is the New Ideal Diner http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
I prefer to take the older roads if I have the time becauswe you can see more. You can also check out the RoadsideFans Yahoo group and put the question there. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roadsidefans/
Hope this helps
Larry Cultrera, Diner Hotline
Does anyone know where I can find replicas of diners? Like dollhouse size?
Hi Larry, I was in Rutland, VT last weekend and found the Midway Diner on Route 7 closed. I checked on the internet and found it For Sale.
This is the newer Midway, about 12 years old.
The old diner went to PA, I think.
Bill
Hi Larry,
Just came across the site from a link in the roadsidefans Yahoo Group … great to see the Half Dollar/Mr. Peanut photos! I remember driving with my parents up Route 1 in Saugus (that’s how we referred to all of Route 1 in my family) and seeing the changeover. I always yelled out of the car, “Aaahh, you’re really Mr. Peanut!”. And to top it off, somewhere around here, I actually have one of those Mr. Peanut postcards that you finally found.
Thanks for keeping up the blog. My sister Lisa and I spend a day taking a diner tour every time I come back to Boston to visit.
Any postcards or photos of a place called “Chickland” (lots and lots of rotisserie chickens turning) that I think was also along Route 1?
Regards,
Michael Litant
San Francisco
Michael,
As you can tell, like you Rte. 1 was a big visual feast for my soul when I was young. Ironically since I have been living in Saugus for almost 9 years, getting around from one part of Saugus to the other, I usually avoid it as it is so busy.
But don’t get me wrong I also drive on it every day as I currently am employed just off Rte 1 in Danvers about a mile or so past where the Half Dollar/Mister Peanut sign was located.
As for Chickland, for some reason I personally don’t recall the place because if we ever travelled that section of Rte. 1 (now Rte. 99), we were headed south and the place would not have been as visible as it was heading north. There are plenty of postcards of Chickland, in fact they come up a lot on ebay. (I do not have one in my collection)
Michael Litant – June 27, 2009 asked about “Chickland” (lots and lots of rotisserie chickens turning) that I think was also along Route 1?
I remember this place very well. My parents took me there very often. The rotisserie chickens were to kill for. I have a couple old photo’s of my dad and myself in front of the restaurant if your interested.
Does anyone remember a night club called The Golden Anchor? I don’t remember where it was located, I was a baby. It burned to ground killing many people. Must have been in the mid to late forty’s.
Larry, I was reading my local newspaper last night – The Wilmington Town Crier. In the legal notices there was a notice for a public hearing for a plan to open a Sonic drive-in. I will keep you posted.
The same is true for Methuen with plans to locate one in the Home Depot parking lot at the Loop shopping plaza. The application process has begun.
Larry,
What a remarkable walk down memory lane. Not only were we Carroll’s Resturant haunts in Medford in the 1970’s, but also a frequent visitor to Wilsons in Waltham! You have turned your slight interest into a remarkable interest, then into something that we can all share! Thanks for this and the many things “GSAS” did in the day! Bravo! I can take some photos of diners here in Utah and I can send a photo and some historical data from Salt Lake. Small towns here have wonderful small spots where locals still hang out, share personal and family histories. For instance RUTHs Diner in Immigration Canyon that comes into the ole city from the east has been established for many years, has been retrofitted numerous times, and yet still holds the name of the origional property. Ruth was a notorious proprietor who was known for rough and tumble days. Now it is a well known and popular spot where you can run into political and screen star charactors on a Sunday brunch. So, lets hook up, share the past, and join forces to offer an ole Massachusetts and now Utah connection. Johnny O’Donnell
John, my old friend, I found you on Facebook because of Jim DeCota. Jim found this blog last week and got in contact with me. We had a long conversation.
Being that you are located in Utah, you should check out The Road Island Diner in Oakley, Utah. It is one that originally operated in New Bedford as one of Al Mac’s Diners for a few years but spent most of its life in Middletown, RI as Tommy’s Deluxe Diner.
It was trucked to Oakley a few years ago and the owner, Keith Walker spent a considerable amount of money to restore it to virtually brand new condition.
If you get there see if you can meet Keith. Tell him I sent you.
My name is Marcie Miller and I make small scale architectural installations. I was recently commissioned to make a funky replica of the Collins Diner in North Cannon, Ct. It’s just stunning and the family cried when they saw it. When you open the door, the song “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke plays.
If anyone is interested in seeing my work and commissioning my services, please email me directly: MARCIESMILLER@SBCGLOBAL.NET
Have you heard the story about the JAX diner in Truckee? It was actually moved across the country via flatbed truck several years ago from it’s original home in West Chester, PA.
My folks live nearby and love this place!
http://jaxtruckee.com/
Hi Margo, yes I am familiar with that diner. I was actually in it once at its old location in South Birmingham (near West Chester), PA. It was originally known as the Birmingham Grill. When I saw it (June 19, 1993) it was closed and was about to embark on the trip across the country. I also know that when it opened in Truckee it was called Andy’s Truckee Diner.