Type of casual restaurant
Not to be confused with
Dinner
.
A
diner
is a type of
restaurant
found across the
United States
and Canada, as well as parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of foods, mostly
American cuisine
, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a combination of booths served by a
waitstaff
and a long sit-down counter with direct service, in the smallest simply by a cook. Many diners have extended hours, and some along highways and areas with significant
shift work
stay open for 24 hours.
[2]
Considered quintessentially American,
[3]
many diners share an archetypal exterior form. Some of the earliest were converted rail
dining cars
, retaining their streamlined structure and interior fittings. From the 1920s to the 1940s, diners, by then commonly known as "lunch cars", were usually
prefabricated
in factories, like modern
mobile homes
, and delivered on site with only the utilities needing to be connected. As a result, many early diners were typically small and narrow to fit onto a rail car or truck. This small footprint also allowed them to be fitted into tiny and relatively inexpensive lots that otherwise were unable to support a larger enterprise. Diners were historically small businesses operated by the owner, with some presence of restaurant chains evolving over time.
Diners typically serve staples of American cuisine such as
hamburgers
,
french fries
,
onion rings
,
club sandwiches
, and other simple, quickly cooked, and inexpensive fare, such as
meatloaf
or steak. Much of the food is
grilled
, as early diners were based around a gas-fueled
flattop grill
. Coffee is a diner staple. Diners often serve
milkshakes
and desserts such as pies, cake or ice cream.
Comfort food
cuisine draws heavily from, and is deeply rooted in, traditional diner fare. Along with
greasy spoon
menu items, many diners will serve regional cuisine as well, such as
clam chowder
in
New England
and
tacos
in
California
.
[4]
Classic American diners often have an exterior layer of
stainless steel
siding?a feature unique to diner architecture. In some cases, diners share nostalgic, retro-style features also found in some restored
drive-ins
and old movie theatres.
History
[
edit
]
A crude precursor of the diner was created in 1872 by Walter Scott, who sold food out of a horse-pulled wagon to employees of the
Providence Journal
, in
Providence, Rhode Island
. Scott's diner can be considered the first diner with
walk-up
service, as it had windows on each side of the wagon.
[
citation needed
]
Commercial production of such "lunch wagons" began in
Worcester
, Massachusetts, in 1887, by Thomas Buckley. Buckley was successful and became known for his "White House Cafe" wagons. Charles Palmer received the first
patent
(1893) for the diner, which he billed as a "Night-Lunch Wagon." He built his "fancy night cafes" and "night lunch wagons" in the Worcester area until 1901.
Prefabricated diners
[
edit
]
As the number of seats increased, wagons gave way to pre-fabricated buildings made by many of the same manufacturers which had made the wagons. Like the lunch wagon, a stationary diner allowed one to set up a food service business quickly using pre-assembled constructs and equipment.
The
Transfer Station
neighborhood of
Union City, New Jersey
was the site, in 1912, of the first lunch wagon built by Jerry and Daniel O'Mahoney and John Hanf, which was bought for $800 and operated by restaurant entrepreneur Michael Griffin, who chose the location for its copious foot traffic. The wagon helped spark New Jersey's golden age of diner manufacturing, which in turn made the state the diner capital of the world. In the decades that followed, nearly all major U.S. diner manufacturers, including Jerry O'Mahoney Inc., started in New Jersey.
[5]
Jerry O'Mahony (1890?1969), who hailed from
Bayonne, New Jersey
, is credited by some to have made the first such "diner".
[6]
The O'Mahony Diner Company of
Elizabeth, New Jersey
, produced 2,000 diners from 1917 to 1952. Only approximately twenty
[7]
remain throughout the United States and abroad. Others more credibly credit Philip H. Duprey and Grenville Stoddard, who established the Worcester Lunch Car and Carriage Manufacturing Company in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1906, when O'Mahony was still just 16.
Until the
Great Depression
, most diner manufacturers and their customers were located in the Northeast. Diner manufacturing suffered with other industries during the Depression, though not as much as many industries, and the diner offered a less expensive way of getting into the restaurant business as well as less expensive food than more formal establishments. After
World War II
, as the economy returned to civilian production and the suburbs boomed, diners were an attractive
small business
opportunity. During this period, diners spread beyond their original urban and small town market to highway strips in the suburbs, even reaching the
Midwest
, with manufacturers such as Valentine. After the
Interstate Highway System
was implemented in the U.S. in the 1960s, diners saw a boom in business as mobile travellers would stop for a meal.
[8]
In many areas, diners were superseded in the 1970s by fast food restaurants, but in parts of
New Jersey
, New York, the
New England
states,
Delaware
, and
Pennsylvania
, the independently owned diner remains relatively common. Since the 1970s, most newly constructed diners lack the original narrow, stainless steel, streamlined appearance, and are usually much bigger buildings, though some are still made of several prefabricated modules, assembled on site, and manufactured by the old line diner builders. A wide variety of architectural styles were now used for these later diners, including
Cape Cod
and
Colonial
styles. The old-style single module diners featuring a long counter and a few small booths sometimes now grew additional dining rooms, lavish wallpaper, fountains, crystal chandeliers and Greek statuary. The definition of the term "diner" began to blur as older, prefabricated diners received more conventional frame additions, sometimes leaving the original structure nearly unrecognizable as it was surrounded by new construction or a renovated facade. Businesses that called themselves diners but which were built onsite and not prefabricated began to appear. These larger establishments were sometimes known as diner-restaurants.
Manufacturers
[
edit
]
Inspired by the streamlined trains, and especially the
Burlington Zephyr
, Roland Stickney designed a diner in the shape of a streamlined train called the Sterling Streamliner in 1939.
[9]
Built by the
J.B. Judkins
coach company, which had built custom car bodies,
[10]
the Sterling and other diner production ceased in 1942 at the beginning of American involvement in World War II. Two Sterling Streamliners remain in operation: the
Salem Diner
at its original location in
Salem, Massachusetts
and the
Modern Diner
in
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
.
Architecture
[
edit
]
Like a
mobile home
, the original style diner is narrow and elongated and allows roadway or railway transportation to the restaurant's site. In the traditional diner floorplan, a service counter dominates the interior, with a preparation area against the back wall and floor-mounted stools for the customers in front. Larger models may have a row of booths against the front wall and at the ends. The decor varied over time. Diners of the 1920s?1940s feature
Art Deco
or
Streamline Moderne
elements or copy the appearance of rail dining cars (though very few are, in fact, refurbished rail cars). They featured porcelain enamel exteriors, some with the name written on the front, others with bands of enamel, others in flutes. Many had a "barrel vault" roofline. Tile floors were common. Diners of the 1950s tended to use stainless steel panels, porcelain enamel, glass blocks,
terrazzo
floors,
Formica
, and
neon sign
trim. Diners built in the 2000s generally have a different type of architecture; they are laid out more like restaurants, retaining some aspects of traditional diner architecture (stainless steel and Art Deco elements, usually) while discarding others (the small size, and emphasis on the counter).
[
citation needed
]
Cuisine
[
edit
]
Many diners serve casual inexpensive food, such as hamburgers, french fries,
club sandwiches
, and other simple fare, with menus resembling those from
greasy spoon
-style restaurants.. Much of the food is grilled, as early diners were based around a
grill
. There is often an emphasis on
breakfast foods
such as
eggs
(including
omelets
),
waffles
,
pancakes
, and
French toast
. Some diners serve these "
breakfast foods
" throughout the business day and others that focus on breakfast may close in the early afternoon. These are most commonly known as
pancake houses
.
Coffee
is ubiquitous at diners. Many diners do not serve alcoholic drinks, although some may serve beer and inexpensive wine, while others?particularly in New Jersey and on Long Island
[
citation needed
]
?carry a full drink menu, including
mixed drinks
. Many diners serve hand-blended milkshakes.
There is regional variation among diners with traditional food. In the U.S.,
Michigan
and the Ohio Valley at "
Coney Island
?style" restaurants,
coney dogs
are served, as are certain types of
Greek cuisine
like
gyros
influenced by Greek diner owners. In
Indiana
and
Iowa
,
pork tenderloin sandwiches
are often on the menu. The Northeast has more of a focus on seafood
[
citation needed
]
, with
fried clams
and
fried shrimp
commonly found in
Maine
and
cheesesteak
sandwiches and
scrapple
in
Pennsylvania
. Diners in the
Southwest U.S.
may serve
tamales
. In the southern U.S., typical breakfast dishes include
grits
,
biscuits and gravy
, and
soul food
such as
fried chicken
and
collard greens
. In New Jersey, the "
Taylor Ham
, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich" is a feature of many diners. Many diners have transparent display cases in or behind the counter for the desserts. It is common with new diners to have the desserts displayed in rotating pie cases. Typical desserts include a variety of pies and
cheesecake
.
Immigrant influences
[
edit
]
Several international ethnic influences have been introduced into the diner industry in the U.S., because of generations of immigration.
[11]
Many diners in the United States?especially in the
Northeast
?are owned or operated by
first
and
second generation
Americans.
[12]
Greek-Americans
, as well as
Polish
,
Ukrainian
, Eastern European
Jews
, Italian-Americans,
Mexicans
and
Cubans
, have notable presences depending on the area. These influences can be seen in certain frequent additions to diner menus, such as Greek
moussaka
, Slavic
blintzes
, and Jewish
matzah ball soup
, deli-style sandwiches (e.g., corned beef, pastrami, Reubens), and bagels and lox.
[13]
Cultural significance
[
edit
]
Diners attract a wide spectrum of the local populations, and are generally small businesses. From the mid-twentieth century onwards, they have been seen as
quintessentially American
, reflecting the perceived cultural diversity and egalitarian nature of the country at large. Throughout much of the 20th century, diners, mostly in the
Northeast
, were often owned and operated by
Greek-American
immigrant families. The presence of Greek casual food, like
gyros
and
souvlaki
, on several northeastern diners' menus, testifies to this cultural link.
[14]
[15]
Diners frequently stay open 24 hours a day, especially in cities, and were once the most widespread 24-hour public establishments in the U.S., making them an essential part of urban culture, alongside bars and nightclubs; these two segments of nighttime urban culture often find themselves intertwined, as many diners get a good deal of late-night business from persons departing drinking establishments. Many diners were also historically placed near factories which operated 24 hours a day, with
night shift
workers providing a key part of the customer base. For this reason, diners sometimes served as symbols of loneliness and isolation.
Edward Hopper
's iconic 1942 painting
Nighthawks
depicts a diner and its occupants, late at night. The diner in the painting is based on a real location in
Greenwich Village
, but was chosen in part because diners were anonymous slices of Americana, meaning that the scene could have been taken from any city in the country-and also because a diner was a place to which isolated individuals, awake long after bedtime, would naturally be drawn. The spread of the diner meant that by 1942 it was possible for Hopper to cast this institution in a role for which, fifteen years earlier, he had used an
Automat
all-night restaurant. The diner as an institution in this painting is a vignette mimicked by a movie lead-in aired nightly on the
Turner Classic Movie Channel
.
But as a rule, diners were always symbols of American optimism.
Norman Rockwell
made his 1958 painting,
The Runaway
, generically American by placing his subjects, a young boy and a protective highway patrolman, at the counter of an anonymous diner.
[16]
In television and cinema (e.g.
The Blob
,
Happy Days
,
Grease
and
Diner
), diners and
soda fountains
have come to symbolize the period of prosperity and optimism in America in the 1950s. They are shown as the place where teenagers meet after school and as an essential part of a
date
. The television show
Alice
used a diner as the setting for the program, and one is often a regular feature in sitcoms such as
Seinfeld
. The diner's cultural influence continues today. Many non-prefab restaurants (including franchises like
Denny's
) have copied the look of 1950s diners for
nostalgic
appeal, while
Waffle House
uses an interior layout derived from the diner.
Manhattan was once known for its diners. The
Moondance Diner
was shipped to
Wyoming
to make room for development.
[17]
Diners provide a nationwide, recognizable, fairly uniform place to eat and assemble, desirable traits mirrored by
fast food chains
. The types of food served are likely to be consistent, especially within a region (exceptions being districts with large immigrant populations, in which diners and
coffee shops
will often cater their menus to those local cuisines), as are the prices charged. At the same time, diners have much more individuality than fast food chains; the structures, menus, and even owners and staff, while having a certain degree of similarity to each other, vary much more widely than the more rigidly standardized chain and franchise restaurants. The
Poirier's Diner
and
Munson Diner
, both manufactured by the
Kullman Dining Car Company
of
Lebanon, New Jersey
, are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
.
[18]
Diners have figured significantly in American films and television since the form developed. In
I Love Lucy
, the episode titled "The Diner" shows the perils, pitfalls, and difficulty in operating a diner, to much comedic effect. Archetypal appearances include significant scenes in classic films such as
Sullivan's Travels
and
The Killers
. The 1982 "rites of passage" film
Diner
was centered on an eatery shared by the protagonists.
Waitress
in 2007 was about a
waitress
in a diner.
[19]
Television series include the
Food Network
show
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
.
Pennsylvania Diners and Other Roadside Restaurants
, is a 1993 documentary. Diners are the focus of
photorealist
painter
John Baeder
who spent about 40 years painting diners across the US. In 1990,
Williams Electronics Games
introduced a
pinball machine
entitled
Diner
. The object of the game is to serve all customers to light-up Dine Time (the jackpot).
See also
[
edit
]
- List of diners
, a list of notable diners in the US
- Bistro
, a small, inexpensive restaurant in France.
- Diner lingo
, American verbal slang used by staff in diners
- Lunch counter
, a small diner-like restaurant located within another retail establishment
- Greasy spoon
, any small, cheap eatery including diners
- Cha chaan teng
, a diner-like cafe in Hong Kong
- Dhaba
, a roadside diner in India
- Warung
, cheap eatery in Indonesia
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Restaurants ? American Diner
(in Finnish)
- ^
Russell, Joan (October 18, 2016).
"The History of the American Diner"
. Paste Magazine
. Retrieved
April 24,
2024
.
- ^
"The History of the American Diner"
.
pastemagazine.com
. September 5, 2016
. Retrieved
November 30,
2021
.
- ^
"The History of the American Diner"
.
pastemagazine.com
. September 5, 2016
. Retrieved
November 30,
2021
.
- ^
Gabriele, Michael C. (May 2018). "Jersey Gems".
New Jersey Monthly
. p. 43.
- ^
p.16 Westergaard, Barbara
A Guide to New Jersey
Rutgers University Press
- ^
NJ.com, Mark Di Ionno | NJ Advance Media for (March 29, 2015).
"A classic Jersey diner comes to an end | Di Ionno"
.
nj
. Retrieved
June 21,
2022
.
- ^
"Diners, the original prefab success story"
.
curbed.com
. May 30, 2017.
- ^
Witzel, Michael Karl (2006).
The American Diner
. MBI Publishing. pp. 76?78.
ISBN
978-0-7603-0110-4
.
- ^
"1939 Sterling Diner"
. Antique Car Investments. Archived from
the original
on July 10, 2015
. Retrieved
August 7,
2010
.
- ^
Maze, Jonathan (March 29, 2017).
"For many immigrants, restaurants are the American dream"
.
Nation's Restaurant News
. Retrieved
December 17,
2020
.
Overall, immigrants own 29 percent of all restaurants and hotels, more than twice the 14-percent rate for all businesses, according to U.S. census data.
- ^
Maze, Jonathan (April 17, 2017).
"Why Are Diners Traditionally Greek? It's an Immigration Story, Naturally"
.
The Kitchn
. Retrieved
December 17,
2020
.
- ^
Li, Irene (March 11, 2019).
"Let's Stop Putting Immigrant-Owned Restaurants Into A Box"
.
WBUR
. Retrieved
December 17,
2020
.
- ^
Berger, Joseph (March 16, 2008).
"Diners in Changing Hands; Greek Ownership on the Wane"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
May 27,
2009
.
- ^
Kleiman, Dena (February 27, 1991).
"Greek Diners, Where Anything Is Possible"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
May 27,
2009
.
- ^
Norman Rockwell ?
The Runaway
- ^
Brown, Kristen V. (August 16, 2008).
"Moondance diner gathering dust in Wyoming one year after move"
.
Daily News
. New York.
- ^
"National Register Information System"
.
National Register of Historic Places
.
National Park Service
. March 13, 2009.
- ^
Jennifer Wright (January 30, 2015).
"How Diner Waitress Uniforms Have Evolved From Scandalous Bloomers to Gingham Dresses"
. Eater
. Retrieved
April 8,
2016
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Baeder, John,
Diners
. Rev. and updated ed. New York: Abrams, 1995.
- Butko, Brian, and Kevin Patrick.
Diners of Pennsylvania
. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1999.
- Garbin, Randy.
Diners of New England
. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2005.
- Gutman, Richard J. S.
American Diner: Then and Now
. New York: HarperPerennial, 1993.
- Kaplan, Donald; Bellink, Alan,
Classic Diners of the Northeast
, Faber and Faber, 1986
- Witzel, Michael Karl
The American Diner
. MBI Publishing Company, 1998.
- "Greasin' up the Griddle, and Rollin' into History" The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, August 2003
, retrieved on December 29, 2007.
- Charles Palmer's 1893 patent
External links
[
edit
]
- Media related to
Diners
at Wikimedia Commons
- The dictionary definition of
diner
at Wiktionary
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Diner manufacturers
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Notable diners
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Key features
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