By: Victoria Palmeri
With the addition of new restaurants and fast-food chains, many diners are closing their doors. Various diners across New York have closed even after being in business for decades, leaving loyal customers to find a new spot. Could diners be a thing of the past, forcing them to be forgotten?
Diners have been a home to many for multiple years and have been a crucial part in socialization of neighborhoods. Diners serve an array of comfort food and often create a warm atmosphere for their customers. A place where you can get quick food and are often open 24 hours is appealing to everyone. More often, the typical reason why some people still go to diners are because of how late they stay open. Typically, after a night out most people would go to a trusty diner to fulfill their hunger. However, with food delivery apps, such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, there is no longer a need to get food from a diner after a night with friends. Now, diners are one of the only places that often has something for everyone because most restaurants follow one cuisine. All across the nation, diners are frequently forced to close forever and diner culture is starting to see its demise.
It seems as though the clientele that used to patronize these diners are no longer around and the newer generation would rather go to a trendy, newer restaurant. Alessandro Palmeri, someone who grew up with diners, agrees with this statement. He said, “Back in the day, it was always the diners and the luncheonettes that the old-timers went to get a meal and hang out. Now, they’re dying out and the young kids don’t go there no more.” When Callum Smith was asked what he believes is the cause of numerous diners closing, he replied, “I think the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the rapid closing of diners because people were not as willing to go and eat out at diners. The supply chain has been disrupted by the pandemic, as well as reducing the amount of resources available for these restaurants.” Many diners have claimed that they are closing because of financial hardships, loss of clientele, and location. Nathan Harvey shared his opinion on the matter by saying, “The reason why diners are closing is because people are choosing fast food over the semi sit-down diners. They would rather go to actual restaurants or fast-food places, like McDonald’s and Burger King over their local diner.” He voiced another good point, “Also, most diners do not offer online ordering options, like Uber Eats, which restricts their ability to spread their consumer market to individuals who order online.” Classic diners have been a part of American culture for over a century and are filled with nostalgia for many people.
Is having this retro connotation detrimental to the remaining diners and are causing them to become a thing of the past? Callum Smith disagrees. “I don’t think eating in a diner is a thing of the past. With the pandemic no longer being a serious problem in American culture, Americans are now generally returning to their normal ways of life without fear of the pandemic, which inlcudes going to diners. Yet, some groups might be afraid still, such as the older populations, who are more susceptible to diseases.” This can be one of the reasons why the older generation is not going to diners as frequently, which overall reduces the number of customers a diner is serving. Renée Mannina gave her perspective by stating, “No, not at all. A diner is part of the community and social gatherings. You can go to the diner and eat breakfast at eight o’clock at night if you wanted to.” Other people believe diners are becoming a thing of the past because they are being replaced so easily. “I think it all depends on the neighborhood. Neighborhoods are constantly changing and not everyone prioritizes going to a diner or a locally owned establishment. People want what’s new and trendy nowadays and certain diners are impacted,” Alessandro Palmeri stated. Similarly, Renée Mannina responded, “I think people are getting very posh when it comes to food beacuse they want that "artsy" experience. Everybody also wants to be healthy and make healthy food choices. A diner rarely serves anything that’s probably under 250 calories and the menu is huge. It may also be part of the lack of upkeep and change in style with the new age.”
The Lantern Diner, located in West Hempstead, is one of the diners on Long Island that has closed their doors after about 60 years. This diner was less than a 15-minute drive near different campuses, such as Molloy University, Adelphi University, and Hofstra University. Often students would go here to grab a quick meal, especially because there was food for everyone. No one anticipated the closing of this beloved diner, especially when regular there was a sign on the door claiming to be closed temporarily due to kitchen renovations. On the other hand, a few diners are still holding strong. Cross Bay Diner has a 4.2-star rating on Google and is typically packed for holidays. People who walk or drive by can see the many people eating together and having a good time, especially for occasions such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations, and birthdays.
Although the glory days of diners seems to have dwindled, the possibility of growth can be obtainable. Today, trends come and go in the blink of an eye and often resurface decades later. This ebb and flow has the chance to benefit diners, but this outcome is not predictable. It appears to be that if the decline of diners continues, the more well-known places will be able to outlive other diners. Diners are typically part of different people’s routines, such as sitting and getting breakfast with friends every so often or just grabbing some coffee. The welcoming atmosphere at a diner is something that can never be perfectly recreated and the memories we make with friends there will always remain. By adapting to modern times and taking risks, diners may just be able to outlast the storm.