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Silver Diner to demolish first diner

Category: Preservation

Published on Wednesday, 14 July 2010 15:35

Written by Randy Garbin

The Silver Diner chain of Rockville, Maryland, founded in 1988 by Robert Giaimo made diner history by ordering a 200-​seat, prefabricated retro-​styled diner from Kullman Industries. I visited it not long after it opened, and I have to admit that it completely fooled me: I believed it was a vintage structure. Kullman reached deep into its past and designed, built, and transported one of the more amazing examples of the iconic American diner.

And now it wants to tear it down.

According to the chain’s Facebook page, the company plans to distribute pieces of the diner to museums! On the page, they write:

Hi everyone! Thanks for weighing in on the new location. We are sorry the news was so disappointing and believe us after putting our blood sweat and tears into the Rockville location, we are sad to be leaving, however our lease has expired. And, unfortunately, it is not feasible to cut up the 8 different modular sections that make up the diner & reassemble them as an operating restaurant. So after 20 great years, we are headed down the road to create the Next Generation Diner incorporating all the best features we’ve built into Silver Diner for the last 20 years. But, don’t be so quick to say goodbye, if you miss the old diner you can visit it around the country. The old diner will be available at different museums to help preserve the Silver Diner history!

You heard it right: They plan to build (from scratch) a new restaurant just down the road. This despite the fact that demolition (and yes, they will demolish this thing) will cost them at least $30,000. Don’t believe that “available to different museums” crap. It sounds all-​too-​similar to Frances Puleo’s promise to relocate the Vale Rio Diner to a new “better” location in order to get his permits to sell the property to Walgreen’s. (See below).

Despite the fact that the diner was built as an assembled diner in Avenel, New Jersey, separated into 8 sections, and trucked 300 miles to Rockville, Maryland, somehow they’ve determined it’s “unfeasible” to do just this and move those sections a couple of miles (if that).

This all sounds like corporate blather to me. The diner is historic in its own right, and its construction quality is on par with almost anything Kullman ever built. Having visited the stores they’ve built since this unit, I can say with some confidence that the new building will pale by comparison.

Damn shame, folks. Just another damn shame.