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Vale-Rio in Path of "Progress"

Monday, 19 July 2010 00:00 Randy Garbin The Countertop - Preservation

We republish this bit of commentary from 2007 in light of the latest developments surrounding the Vale-Rio Diner in Phoenixville. As the Philadelphia Inquirer reported today, owner Frances Puleo, the guy that removed the diner from its long-time location has posted the diner on Ebay for a cool quarter mil.

PHOENIXVILLE, PA -- It's official: owner Francis Puleo wants to replace his landmark Vale-Rio Diner with a Walgreens and a Starbucks. Puleo, who owns the diner, the business, and the property, assured Roadside that he will move the historic diner to a new location within the borough. He alerted us last month to his plans, and this past week, he and his developer did indeed file plans for the new development. "You just can't make enough money in the diner business these days," he told us.

We note here that Puleo didn't say he was not making any money from the diner, just not enough. He also assured Roadside that his real estate company had a parcel available for the new location. We can't help but wonder if he couldn't make enough money in Vale-Rio's current prime location, how will he make enough money in a less desirable spot? We ask this knowing that it often takes a half-million dollars, or more, to move and set up a diner of this size. There's something funny floating in this cup of coffee.

Just to place this news in perspective, residents of Phoenixville tell us that they already have two drugstores along that stretch of Route 23 within a half-mile of his location. See for yourself: Click here.

But as we've seen in the past ten years, such quibbles matter little to the pharmacy juggernauts or the developers that cater to them. The Vale-Rio Diner is one of only four remaining Paramount diners with the burnished circle pattern in its stainless skin. In our general observations of this business over the past two decades, any closing and removal of a diner to storage immediately endangers it. We don't like the odds of this one ever reopening. .

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Skee's Diner: An unwelcome development

Thursday, 15 July 2010 06:38 Randy Garbin The Countertop - Preservation

At Mr. Gutman's talk, the Chamber handed out these sheets that encouraged you to "Build your own Skee's Diner." In about five years, this may be all we have left of it. Click on the image to see a full size version.

The Waterbury Republican-American recently reported that the project to move Skee's Diner, renovate it, and reopen it as a welcome center just increased in price to an even $400,000, up from $375,000. I could hear the collective groans of the unemployed of northwestern Connecticut from here.

I stopped at the 90-year-old diner last year to check on its general condition. Just driving through the area, I had wondered how eight years of disuse and controversy had treated the old girl. Not long afterward, someone involved with the project to move and restore the diner contacted me in response to the article inspired by that visit, where I laid out my five-year prediction for Skee's ultimate demise.

Eventually, this person asked me to speak at a planned gathering and perhaps give a little pep talk about the diner's prospects and possibly sway some of the thinking behind the plans. Scheduling conflicts forced me to cancel, and Richard Gutman took my place. From the reports that I received after his visit, it looks like I made the right decision — at Mr. Gutman's expense.

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“Vince and Larry” Become Permanent Additions to Smithsonian

Wednesday, 14 July 2010 11:21 Randy Garbin Roadside Wire - Open Roads

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation is donating a number of "Vince and Larry" crash-test dummy costumes and related auto safety items to the Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today. These objects now become part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

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Silver Diner to demolish first diner

Wednesday, 14 July 2010 10:35 Randy Garbin News - Preservation

silverdiner 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.

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Vale Rio For Sale

Tuesday, 13 July 2010 13:58 Randy Garbin Departments - Diner for Sale

Would you pay a quarter mil for this?

The Vale Rio Diner is now listed on Ebay for the ridiculous amount of $225,000.

The diner has sat on poorly laid out cribbing in Frances Puleo's back yard for nearly 4 years. Its in fa ir condition at best, which is a crime considering how the community once considered it one of the most spectacular examples of a diner ever built.

Good luck, Frances. Just give it away, would you? Only a fool would pay that kind of money for this thing now.

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