Many are closing, buried under the weight of geopolitical effects on the economy and the long, Reaper-like grasp of the Covid-19 pandemic. But state lawmakers are trying to stem the tide.<\/p>\n
State Senator Paul D. Moriarty and Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald, both Democrats, have introduced the \u201cSaving Our Diners and Protecting Our Past Act<\/a>,\u201d more whimsically known as the SODA POP Act.<\/p>\n Under the bill, some diners and family-owned restaurants across New Jersey that have been in continuous operation for 25 years would receive a tax credit of up to $25,000 a year and wouldn\u2019t have to charge sales tax on prepared foods, which is about 7 percent. They would also be designated as \u201chistoric,\u201d a marketing move designed to attract more customers, Mr. Moriarty said.<\/p>\n While New Jersey does not specifically track diner closures, it is possible that roughly 100 have closed over the past decade, said Amanda Stone, the vice president of public affairs for the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association.<\/p>\n Mr. Moriarty said about 500 eateries would qualify for the bill\u2019s benefits, including the vast majority of New Jersey\u2019s diners as well as longtime family-owned restaurants. Mr. Moriarty and Mr. Greenwald hope the bill, which they say has some bipartisan support, will be voted on by June.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be really a shame if these diners just slowly vanished, and we didn\u2019t have these kind of universal places that are part of the DNA of New Jersey,\u201d Mr. Moriarty said.<\/p>\n But what exactly makes a diner, a diner? It\u2019s a complicated question.<\/p>\n Is it a steel-clad exterior, akin to a subway car? Is it Formica counters and red-leather booths? What about steeple-like features reminiscent of a megachurch, this time on houses of worship dedicated to pancakes?<\/p>\n Richard J. S. Gutman, a diner historian who has written four books on the topic, strictly defines diners based on their stainless-steel or colorful porcelain enamel exteriors, and he said he looks for a mom-and-pop place with \u201cgood food, good value\u201d that has \u201cbeen around forever.\u201d<\/p>\n The SODA POP legislation defines a diner<\/a> as an establishment where customers sit at booths, counters or tables and are served \u201ca wide variety of menu offerings, including but not limited to, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches, soups, breakfast items, entrees, pastries, pies and beverages,\u201d but is not \u201cany cafe, delicatessen, tavern, bar, sandwich shop or other food establishment.\u201d<\/p>\n And while diners might come in all shapes and sizes, for most of them, the pandemic took a toll, said Mr. Greenwald, the assemblyman.<\/p>\n Outdoor dining benefited diners in New Jersey less than it did other restaurants, since many are on main thoroughfares and less suited to outdoor setups, Mr. Greenwald said. After pandemic restrictions lifted, it was difficult to hire staff, and more recently, tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and economic fallout from the war in Iran have caused the price of food to skyrocket, he said.<\/p>\n Ms. Stone, from the restaurant association, said that the group had pushed the lawmakers to expand the bill\u2019s benefits to more restaurants, since many are struggling with the same financial challenges as diners and family-owned restaurants.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we saw the first copy of the bill, obviously, our first thought was, \u2018Hey, can this benefit all food establishments?\u2019\u201d Ms. Stone said. \u201cBut we understand that to give that tax incentive to over 20,000 food establishments would be a significantly greater impact on the state.\u201d<\/p>\n Spiro Hadjiyerou, who owns the Colonial Diner in East Brunswick, N.J., said that \u201cit\u2019s been one thing or another\u201d since the pandemic. While the price of eggs<\/a> last year was tough to weather, he said, now tomatoes cost over $5 a pound \u2014 higher than he could ever remember.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s almost like you want to retire,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had enough. We\u2019re mentally, physically, and now we\u2019re getting financially beaten up.\u201d<\/p>\n Jim Greberis, 66, the owner of Summit Diner, said his business, in Summit, N.J., had managed to remain stable throughout Covid and rising prices, mainly because it is small, with only a handful of counter stools and six booths, which fill up quickly most mornings with loyal local patronage.<\/p>\n \u201cMy customers are my friends,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like a barbershop: You go in there to confess your sins.\u201d<\/p>\n On a recent Wednesday, when \u201cthe girls\u201d were having their weekly meet-up, the diner was filled with other regulars long after the morning rush had subsided.<\/p>\n Patrick Murphy, 25, said he had been coming to Summit Diner from the time he was a baby. During high school, he would even stop there to grab a quick breakfast before heading to class. Christy McCann, 37, said that she stops for breakfast a couple of times a week with her husband, Brennan Shroff, 48, because they love the coffee and the consistency of the food. Ms. McCann said it only took the staff two weeks to memorize their orders.<\/p>\n Memorizing regulars\u2019 orders is a key facet of a diner server\u2019s job, said Karina Henriquez-Dilone, 33, who has worked at Tops Diner in East Newark since 2018. Every Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., she said, she can expect Richard Ewers, 75. He gets a decaf coffee, with a refill halfway through, and he needs a salad with whatever he orders to eat. And before he gets water, she brings his coleslaw to the table, so he does not have to ask for it.<\/p>\n \u201cCustomers like that, who have been here for years \u2014 that\u2019s what makes Tops, Tops,\u201d she said, adding that when she had her daughter last year, many of her regulars brought the baby gifts. \u201cWe have a lot of customers that keep coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n New Jersey became the so-called diner capital of the world by building more diners than any other state, according to Mr. Gutman, the historian (who, for the record, was skeptical of the state\u2019s title).<\/p>\n
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