New diner to open doors this January

Come January 15, students will finally have the 24-hour diner they've been asking for since 1996. El Diner, operated by restaurateur Gary Farmer of Goldman Properties, will hit campus at the start of next semester in the spot formerly held by Eat at Joe's at 3925 Walnut Street. And unlike Eat at Joe's -- which drew criticism from students for its lack of 24-hour service -- El Diner promises to operate around the clock from the day it opens. "It's going to be different from Eat at Joe's in every possible way," said Farmer, who has opened five restaurants in New York and Miami Beach in the last 20 years. According to Farmer, meals at El Diner will cost between $2 and $10. Breakfast, which will be available at all hours of the day, will run about $5. Under the direction of Clark Gilbert, currently the chef of the Philadelphia steakhouse Saloon, the greasy spoon will offer traditional diner fare -- including omelettes, burgers, cheesesteaks, pizzas, sandwiches, caesar salads and fries -- and possibly international dishes. Farmer added that the name El Diner, suggested by one of his colleagues, is meant to convey the idea of "a whole range of dishes." "[El Diner] is not going to be gimmicky," said Donna Andrews, the liaison between the student body and Goldman Properties. Currently in the process of obtaining a liquor license, the restaurant will feature a working 24-hour bar with "real bar stools," Andrews added. A lease has already been signed, and work on the diner is expected to begin soon, though officials were unable to name the exact date renovations will start. Last Tuesday, Farmer and two other Goldman Properties representatives met with a focus group of five Undergraduate Assembly members to discuss how to make El Diner a popular student hangout. In response to their suggestions, Farmer decided to drop the original plan of a sit-down format in favor of counter service, similar to that of Billybob, a popular late-night eatery on 40th and Walnut streets that closed this summer. Goldman Properties will conduct at least one more student focus group to taste the food before the diner opens. Student demand for a greasy spoon was brought to the attention of Penn officials four years ago. In response to a UA survey showing that 97 percent of students wanted an on-campus diner, University officials brought Eat at Joe's to campus in the summer of 1998. But the 1950s-theme diner's slow service, high prices and lack of around-the-clock hours couldn't have made it more unpopular. And this summer, after two years of poor business, Eat at Joe's shut its doors for good. But in less than two months, Eat at Joe's may just be a bad memory as wooden tables and flooring replace the chrome seats and pink fluorescent lights still glowing from the storefront's empty interior. "We want it to be a place you can come in at any hour and feel like home," said Farmer, who describes the diner's planned environment as "easy and casual." "We're going to get rid of that ugly car," Andrews added. "It looks like you're walking inside a refrigerator right now." Goldman Properties officials added that they consider the 40th and Walnut area ripe for new development. "I'm hoping that it will encourage other businesspeople to come and develop around 40th Street," Farmer said.