Written by Vincent Cain
Since the start of the pandemic, A popular local diner has been closed, but now they are getting ready to reopen their doors on Monday. Before the closure, when you drove by Studio Diner, the parking lot would be full of cars, and inside, it was crowded with diners. However, for the past two years, they have been completely empty.
“I’m bouncing off the walls. Sitting down at a desk is not my thing. It’s part of my job, but once I got the go-ahead to bring people in, start prepping and get things going, it just changed everything,” said Studio Diner head of the kitchen, John Leonard. Leonard says he has come up with several ideas for boosting the quality of their menu during the two-year break. “We are making our own meats here now brisket and corn beef and short rib. More quality, more home driven like a diner should be and it gives great quality for the people out front,” said Leonard.
People were excited last year about the reopening of the diner, but they had to cancel out of fear of being shut down again. The diner did not have rent, and they also had the production company helped pay bills, which prompted them to wait longer. “We are lucky enough to that is on our land to do that so we just wanted to be patient and then at the right time we wanted to reopen and make sure that we stayed open,” said Cory Segall, co-owner of the Studio Diner.
“We hear a lot of scuttlebutt on the street but we really don’t know what to expect,” Leonard commented. Friday will be the diner’s pilot with their family and friends, and Monday will be the official opening. Studio Diner first opened in 2003 and has been featured on Guy Fieri’s show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” on the Food Network.
“I grew up here since I was 18, I’m 37 now and it’s been half of my life and I’m glad to have my family come back here, I’m glad to have my friends back here and the community,” Segall said.
Photo Cred: @StudioDiner/ Twitter
