Someone once said that if the Greeks in the Philadelphia area wanted to protest something, the only thing they had to do was close down their diners for one day, and everyone would starve … they would get what they wanted. That someone was not off the mark.
Think about it … we either grew up in a diner or our relatives or friends’ families had a diner. And sometimes during our lives, we worked in a diner. Why? Simple… when our forefathers came from Greece to the United States, many were illiterate or had no education, and the Greeks were discriminated against. Yes, you young people out there, there was a time when signs hung in shops around the U.S.A. that said: “No dogs, no rats, no Greeks allowed”.
The only jobs for the Greek immigrant were washing dishes. Eventually, with their pride and work ethic, they worked hard and moved up to become the cook. They continued working hard, and they became the chef. Eventually, they socked away enough money, know-how, and guts and bought the diner. Then their relatives began arriving, and they too got into the family business.
This happened over a period of the last 100 years in the Philadelphia area. Unfortunately, knowledge of many of the early diners and their Greek owners has faded from memory. Many of these diners were in South Jersey. Here are a few that may jog some memories.
In 1939, there was the Lintonia Diner (Chigounis family) in Camden, which was the only 3-floor diner that was open 24 hours a day. Also during this time, my grandfather, Theodoros Gentchos, and his son, Dimitri, owned the Olympic Diner in Camden. In the 50’s-60’s, there was the Nassau in Pennsauken (Chigounis family) that had an open kitchen grill. I remember as a small kid in 1962 going to the Nassau for lunch after Sunday church and seeing a sign for Rib-eye steak, baked potato, vegetables, garlic toast, and coffee… $1.99!
During the next three decades, many diners opened, some still operating today. There were the two Ponzios Diners in Brooklawn and Cherry Hill (Fifis families) and the two Olga’s Diners in Camden and Marlton (Stavros families). My father (Jerry Karapalides) and my two uncles (Louie Klekos and Mike Potkidis) owned the South Grove Diner in Brooklawn.
There was the Elgin Diner in Camden (Vallianos family) and the Diamond Diner in Cherry Hill (Diamandis family). I’m proud to say I was the head busboy there! There was also the Windsor Diner in Cherry Hill (Mastoris and Mamas families) and the Penn Queen Diner in Pennsauken (Katsikas, Lavdas, and Kontorousis families).
Some diners were named after the towns they were in, such as the Maple Shade Diner, the Cherry Hill Diner, Woodstown Diner (owned by my two uncles, Angelo Stefanou and Tony Lazos), and the Vincentown Diner (Melissaratos family). Also, in Vincentown, there was the Clover Diner (Pentakis family) and the Red Lion Diner. The Mastoris Diner in Bordentown (Mastoris family) and across the street was the Town and Country.
There was the Dynasty Diner in Delran (Pappas family) and Chasnick’s (Sacalis families) in Pennsauken. The Country Club Diner in Voorhees (Kokolis families) just recently closed down, and my Uncle Louie opened the Presidential Diner in Vineland back in the late 70’s.
Today, besides some of the classics that have remained from the heyday of diners, there are the new diners… sleek, trendy, but still cooking the same good-old diner food – Greek style! The Hollywood Diner in West Deptford and Phily Diner in Runnemede (Balis family), Eagle Diner in Hammonton, Olympic Diner in Pleasantville, the Golden Eagle in Cinnaminson, the Pallas Diner in Berlin, and many, many more, too many to name here.
Some of the old diners have been sold to Turks, Koreans, and other ethnic groups, and it is their turn to continue the tradition and experience of owning and operating a truly American classic – the “Greek” Jersey diner.