Diners of Allentown, Pennsylvania

The city of Allentown, Pennsylvania has been known for its diners since the early 1900s. Many highways were built to accommodate early truck traffic between manufacturing cities to distribution centers, and the concept developed to support truck and long distance travelers along these inter-city roads.[1][2]

Diners of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Tom Sawyer Diner, 1962–2002
Moved in 2006, now located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Located at the intersection of several main highways (U.S. Route 22, U.S. Route 309 and U.S. Route 222), as automobile traffic along the roads increased during the 1920s and 1930s, Allentown became a popular stopover for travelers heading to New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Lancaster. Route 22 in particular, known as the "William Penn Highway," brought hungry travelers through the city on Tilghman Street before the Lehigh Valley Thruway bypass (1955) moved most long-distance road traffic north of the city.[1]

Overview

Diners differ from restaurants in the sense that they were set up as prefabricated buildings, mostly manufactured from aluminum or stainless steel. Less expensive to buy because of their prefabricated nature, they were manufactured in assembly plants, with different manufacturers having different styles, and could be purchased and set up quickly once land was obtained by the buyers. Also, they could be picked up and moved from one location to another. Large outdoor signs, mostly using neon, advertised the facility along the highway.[1]

Sometimes called "Greasy spoons", inside, diners consist of a lunch counter and booths in the dining area, and a cooking area behind a pass-thru window to the rear of the lunch counter. Service is provided by waitresses, the food being prepared and forwarded to the waitresses via the pass-thru window. Diners generally offer 24-hour breakfast and operating hours with a wide range of foods, including homemade meatloaf, open faced sandwiches, gravy and french fries, chicken, with pastries and pies for dessert. They offer a casual atmosphere, with counter take-out service.[1]

Locations

See also

References
  1. Butko (2011), Diners of Pennsylvania, Stackpole Books; 2d edition (May 1, 2011) ISBN 0811706761
  2. Gutman (2000), American Diner Then and Now, Johns Hopkins University Press (October 13, 2000) ISBN 0801865360
  3. https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/berks-based-bieber-bus-line-out-of-business-after-years/article_237f83fe-bf9a-580c-a695-966cccaeb888.html
  4. For Former Allentown Man, Nothing Is Finer Than The American Diner, The Morning Call, 22 August 1993
  5. Golden Gate Diner, Bushiness Profile
  6. Nicks Diner, Business Profile
  7. Buyer Orders Diner To Go Peter Pan Eatery Being Shipped To Cape Cod, The Morning Call, June 24, 1992
  8. The Poodle Skirt's Decor Gives 1950s Another Spin The Morning Call, 7 September 1997
  9. Good Shepherd planning to revamp Allentown campus, The Morning Call, 1 August 2001
  10. "Poodle Skirt Restaurant photograph, The Morning Call, 28 August 1997". Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  11. https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-ent-queen-city-diner-closing-20200220-fbmbosger5exzom25lpyeleonm-story.html
  12. Sunrise Diner, Business Profile
  13. Garbage plates, aka PA Trash Plates, arrive in the Valley The Morning Call, 27 December 2005
  14. West Side Diner, Business Profile
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