Happy Day Diner

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

The Happy Day Diner, is a 1959 DeRaffele, which in recent years, has been redone in recent years with a retro, back to the ’50s theme, complete with Elvis Presley on the vestibule, an a giant smiley face. Interesting that the smiley face wasn’t designed until 1963, and not really popularized until the ’70s, but then again, none of the rest is anything you would have ever seen in a diner in the ’50s, so it kind of follows.

http://www.happydaydiner.com/

From the Happy Day Diner website:

Back to the 50’s
back on time at the happy day diner, one of the maryland’s unique diner that trully represents de 50’s, bring you back to the old happy days. while you and your family enjoys the food, you also have a chance to take a look at the classic road riders, that hang around at every saturdays nights.

elvis look foward to see you soon .

One of the first diners in Maryland, funded in 1951 and still capted at the original 50’s atmosphere.Those are just a feel of the things that makes the happy day diner, a long time neighborhood favority, pleasent dining, and great cusine. The staff at happy day diner, prides themselves in serve you and your family, and they will ensure that our visit to the restaurant is a pleasent and memorable experince. unlike another restaurant, our menu is disigned to please everyone, at any time of the day. that means you can enjoy your dinner, while our partner eat breakfast, or enjoy some of our italian dishes, that will make you forget that you are not in little italy for while, with a big difference on the price. and your partner enjoing a delicious home made chicken pot pie, that not even mama could do better.

You can find the Happy Day Diner at:
8302 Pulaski Highway
Baltimore, MD 21237

Abandoned Pizza World- Kenilworth, PA

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

Abandoned “modern” place in PA

edit: The owner of the Rosedale Diner opened Pizza World after the diner’s closing. The diner was moved to the woods across the street from Pizza World, and was featured on the cover of Hall and Oates’ Album, Abandoned Luncheonette. It no longer exists.
Thanks Larry!

American Dream Diner- Harrisburg, PA

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

I hit this one up on a Harrisburg area road trip a few years back. It was built in 1953 by DeRaffele, and was previouly named the By-pass Diner. It’s a truly beautiful old place, with broad turquoise striping and gleaming stainless. It’s still very original, as you can see from the pictures. As of a couple years ago, the food and service matched the quality of the architecture. If you’re ever in the Harrisburg area, this one’s a must see.

The American Dream Diner is located at:
1933 Herr St
Harrisburg, PA 17103

Prairie City Diners

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

Queen’s Diner, the first unit by new diner manufacturer, Prairie City Diners, opened its doors in early December, 2008. Full Story on the Red Deer Advocate

Prairie City Diners

From the Prairie City Diners Website:
Here’s the first one of an exciting new chain of diner restaurants opening in Alberta, Canada. Made by ”Prairie City Diners“, this is a Shaw International and Medallion Structures joint venture. Each restaurant will have a different name, and this first one will be called ”Queen’s Diner“, named after the business park in which it is located. According to owners Scott Shaw of Shaw International and Jim Landin, of Medallion Structures, plans for the first 10 diners are already underway! Interest in this new product is high, so the sky is the limit! Built from the ground up, the diner itself has been patterned after the 1940-1950 silk city diners with round corners and roof lines.
Not all within this new chain will be diners. Some are bar cars and some ice-cream shops, but they are all in the diner style! What is so great about this new diner is that it is easy to move, they are built solid and can be moved anywhere. This first one shown below was moved from Medallion’s Shop 50 miles from Red Deer, using nothing more than a bed truck and trailer. Scott and Jim wanted to build a good product, and the result is that the diners have turned out better than they could have imagined! If you’re in the market for a ”real Diner” restaurant that is easy to move and is also turn key, look no further! They can even be sent to other countries around the world!

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A red model.

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Interiors:

some more pictures are found here: BarsandBooths.com, who provided furniture, laminates, banding and accessories for the new diner
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I love that these are not the over the top caricature that so many manufacturers have been building in recent years. In concept and size, theses seem much truer to golden age diners. The design is clean and modern, but follows closely the lines of the classics. A late ’30s O’Mahony or a ’40s- early ’50s silk city is bought to mind.
It’s interesting to note that these are not being manufactured out New Jersey or Massachusetts, but out of Alberta, Canada, a province with no history of “real” diners.

Triangle Diner- Winchester, VA

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

The Triangle Diner- a 1948 O’Mahony, where Patsy Cline once worked. We visited it, and took these pictures several years ago when it was Lynette’s Triangle Diner
As you can see from the postcards, it went through several neon signs and vestibules over the years, which changed the look of the diner considerably. Eventually it was covered with dark wood, though much of the stainless can still be seen. A great, working vertical diner neon sign and clock is still in the parking lot. The windows still read air conditioned. Inside, the diner is a time warp to sixty years ago.

The diner is currently for sale. The listing can be found here.

The diner and addition have 1290 square feet, the lot is 6875 square feet. The diner seats fifty people.
The current price for the diner and property is $459,000.

The Triangle Diner is found at:
27 West Gerrard Street, Winchester, VA.

East Shore Diner- Harrisburg, PA

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

The East Shore Diner is a 1950s O’Mahony, a large L-shaped model. It is the West Shore’s cousin, and sits across the river in Harrisburg.

You can find the East Shore at:
711 S Cameron St
Harrisburg, PA 17104.

West Shore Diner- Lemoyne, PA

Posted on January 10, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

The West Shore Diner was built in the 1930s by the Patterson Vehicle Company of Patterson, New Jersey. It may be the only surviving Silk City diner with this narrow floor plan. It appears it may have originally been all stools, but that at some point, the back wall was bumped out. This moved the backbar out the back a bit, allowing the counter to be moved further back, freeing up space for some deuce booths on the outside wall. The ceiling is similar to other silk city diners, but as it is so much narrower, it is steeper on the sides, and does not have the elegant curve of later models. Dark woodwork, tile and formica make up most of the interior, while the exterior has been repainted time and time again. The West Shore shows its 70+ years of age, but is a unique example of early New Jersey diner manufacture. his is my go-to diner in the Harrisburg area, and one of the best I’ve been to. It is one of the friendliest around. The food is excellent, and comes in enormous portions at bargain prices. They have great t-shirts, too, which is always a plus. You can’t go wrong with a stop at the West Shore.

A more recent, more drab paint scheme.

Royal Dairy, Front Royal, VA

Posted on January 7, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

Another Front Royal landmark, opened 1948, now gone. It has been entirely gutted, and replaced with a Korean/Sushi restaurant

The interior

http://www.nvdaily.com/Food/2007/royalGarden_082907/royalGarden.html

Virginia Auto Group- Front Royal, VA

Posted on January 6, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

A 1956 Mountain View that my parents had eaten at in the late ’80s. Now converted to a used car lot office. The two other diners in town, the Good Food diner- see 1 and 2– (where my dad was severely food poisoned in the ’70s), and the Fox Diner, are now both gone.

Fox Diner- Front Royal, Virginia

Posted on January 4, 2009 by Spencer Stewart

Photos from the archives of the Fox Diner of Front Royal, Virginia, taken in 2003 or so. It was originally part of the Donut Dinette chain. The original donut shaped sign was behind the fox diner sign. It had changed names the second time we visited, in 2006, but retained the signage. Last I heard, it had been torn down.

old exterior photo, showing the original sign.

Interior. Notice at the bottom the fox lawn ornament

Signage

short stool

Formica patterns

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