Bel Aire Diner: Kallas’ Decisions
UPDATE: OK, now I’m really confused. DinerHotline posted this pic of the Bel-Aire sitting on Rte 1 on cribbing a mere 45 ft. forward of where it used to operate. Whaaaa? But the earlier postings said it was being moved last week to Lowell, and then possibly later to New Hampshire. Now, it seems the Bel-Aire has not gone anywhere at all! Just moved forward off its foundation and is for sale as is, where is. And as for the “3 interested buyers”.…. yah, whatever JK. If this is the case, it makes me howl! Just more John Kallas. Also explains what he meant when he said “Maybe I’ll just move it to the back of the lot on Route 1″ Meaning — if he doesn’t get his $50Gs, JK’ll just move it back 100 ft. and it’ll remain there for sale — forever. This story is now even MORE like the Branchburg and Vale-Rio. Also, one day soon the Sanfords will put Eddie’s and Travelers up for sale as well. That’ll make five. As for Jimmy Evans Flyer — that is going to meet an abrupt end with a front end loader and a steel bin.
We were right. What is now “official”, is exactly what we’ve observed about John Kallas’ callous choices regarding the Bel-Aire, a diner his family ordered new from Mountain View some 55 years ago. For more than 5 years Roadside had this diner on its Diner For Sale list. In all the time since it closed in 2004, it has decayed, been unheated, had water running through it, etc. Just like the Branchburg and Vale-Rio Diners.
Now, let’s do the math. Last week’s move to nowhere likely set John Kallas back $25,000+. For the past 5 yrs. Kallas told potential buyers that he wanted a whopping $199,000 for the diner and/or “make me an offer — but I’ll warn you, I want more than these things typically go for.” Yada yada yada…
After 6 yrs. of asking a price no one would pay, (the owner of the Vale-Rio is asking $225,000. for his diner rotting away on blocks), the Bel-Aire had to be moved. Since then, the asking price has inexplicably dropped to $ 50Gs. Translated, that means $25Gs — $35Gs would take it. Basically, just cover the cost of this temporary move. Had JK just given it away 5 years ago, it could have instead been serving food for all that time.
So what happens next? John Kallas moves it again to the New Hampshire property for long-term storage. (Meaning, the end of the line, à la Travelers, Eddie’s and Jimmy Evans Flyer- 3 diners now all rotting in a field in Westport, Massachusetts) How much will that second move cost? Maybe another $15,000. Then add another $1,000+ to shrink wrap. By then, JK’ll have $50,000. into it in recent expenses. As a result, he’ll be even more determined to ask $50Gs, which he will not get either. So it will sit for more years.
As it is, Kallas will be lucky if he even gets his current out-of-pocket expenses out of all this. Once again, in situations such as this, the $1.00 give-away figure is actually a good deal for both buyer and seller. Had Kallas just said — “COME TAKE IT” PRICE: $1.00 betwen 2004 when it closed, and this past week, he’d have likely had a taker. But no, he had to get “his price”, or else no sale. Classic. A diner cliché. How many times have we seen this scenario before?
Kallas also says it has “sentimental value.” I’m sure it does, as his family ordered it new. So why not do the right thing — find a good caretaker and pay to ship the diner to their site and see that it survives. Instead, what is going to happen with the Bel-Aire, is what is likely to happen to the Branchburg and Vale-Rio. A slow death rotting in a field sitting on cribbing piles.
Check out Larry Cultrera’s excellent history of what happened to the diner seen on the cover of the Hall & Oates album “Abandoned Luncheonette”. What happened to that Fodero in a Pennsylvania field is likely the fate of what awaits the six diners I’ve mentioned here. What a waste.
“Beam me up Scotty, there’s no intelligent life down here.”
Plainly Speaking