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it opened the door to all manner of peculiarities. Even so, because skilled restaurateurs sought to treat customers like guests, it can be assumed that the operator wouldn’t do in the diner what they wouldn’t do in their own homes.

I had visited Philadelphia's Mayfair Diner over a dozen times before realizing that the section of the diner to the left of the vestibule was stick-built. Had the owners not shown me photos of the diner's installation, I would still not know. The completely seamless addition only serves to extend one of the best diner environments found anywhere.

A fifty-year old structure, no matter how pristine in appearance, will always require some degree of renovation. Diner purists will demand a full museum-quality restoration, but even if the owner has the best of intentions, he or she might not have the deepest of pockets. The limitations imposed by finances and other conditions will force just about everyone in this position to make compromises. Striking the right balance between stewardship and fiscal prudence requires a resourcefulness and an appreciation for this architecture that will ultimately show in the final result. For instance, a reconstructed stainless steel hood marred by a conspicuous array of rivets indicates a failure to study the methods of the original construction or a reluctance to employ qualified experts.

Anyone seeking to accurately restore their diner using original materials faces a great challenge and a likely exercise in futility. Many of the laminate patterns used fifty years ago no longer exist, though Formica does still sell the classic boomerang pattern. Replicating some of those amazing tile floor patterns requires someone with monk-like patience or church-like wealth, but fortunately, some suppliers sell ready-made patterns that roll out a proper homage to the period. Terrazzo, the most durable surface available, rarely needs replacement or repair. Covering it with anything makes little sense.

Diners with factory-built dining room annexes usually did the best job of incorporating the original atmosphere around the additional seating. Operators that used local contractors to add onto their restaurants saw mixed results if an expansion failed to properly complement the main space. Unless done well, additions risk creating a second-class seating area that patrons might resist using. To succeed, an addition should be at least as comfortable as the original setting, with unambiguous access, else it becomes dead space, bringing little or no return on the investment.

As mentioned above, replicating stainless steel designs require abilities that have largely vanished from the scene. Anyone can bend the steel, but few can still assemble all the parts to look like one solid piece of metal.

Today, interior designers can make use of a far broader array of materials, patterns, colors, and technologies, but that doesn’t mean they should. Recall the advent of desktop publishing, when just about anyone with a computer could produce a newsletter, and did so using every font that came with the system. Diners seem to fall prey to this like no other commercial space. Historical research does not mean watching reruns of “Happy Days,” or renting a copy of “Back to the Future” and other Hollywood interpretations of 1950s soda shops. It means careful, thoughtful planning combined with some knowledge of a rich and colorful heritage and an understanding of the power of restraint.

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