Ally and Latisha
Starting Friday, June 17, at 6 a.m., the Maplewood Diner is back. And it won’t be closing its doors anytime soon.
Ever since an early morning electrical fire gutted the building on March 6, 2011, the former Maplewood mainstay has been shuttered. Now under new ownership and fully renovated, the Maplewood Diner is coming back with a vengeance — open 24 hours a day.
Its two co-owners are a duo of diner dynasties — one from the legendary Tick Tock Diner in Clifton and the other formerly an owner of the fondly remembered Kless Diner in Irvington. The owners held a tasting dinner for press and community leaders on Thursday, June 16, to show off the new digs, new menu, new everything.
Marketing manager Ed Colandra said the Maplewood Diner will feature “locally grown food and homemade family recipes.”
In addition, “everything is fresh baked on our premises. We have a world-class pastry chef.”
Anastasia and Natasha are ready to take your order at the newly refurbished Maplewood Diner.
Most importantly for many locals, the Maplewood Diner offers free wifi.
Besides breakfast, lunch, a full diner menu, 24-hour dining, and an on-site parking lot, the diner also offers a party room to rent for 40-50 guests. Have an event coming up? Call 973-763-6511.
“This is gonna be perfect,” said Mayor Vic DeLuca, “because people in Maplewood want more places to gather with their families.” The mayor also noted that the wifi and meeting space are a great combination for attracting business and meetings.
George Filippatos, former Kless Diner owner, is enthused about being in Maplewood: “I like the location and the changes.”
During an interview on May 16, Filippatos pointed out the window to the rapidly rising 235-unit Avalon Bay project and the Wawa site being cleared across Chancellor Avenue. After years of investment retreating westward along Springfield Avenue, out and away from Newark and Irvington — and even Maplewood, Filippatos said interest has returned to the east.
“Young people like urban areas,” said Filippatos, who sees nothing but positive things for Springfield Avenue in Maplewood and says that the town’s success is good news for its neighbors in Irvington.
“It catches on. It’s coming back.”
Maplewood Diner, 1473 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood, NJ, 973-763-6511.
Click on photos to enlarge:
