With little fanfare but good reviews, Philly Diner, Penn's third and latest attempt to bring students a genuine diner, opened its doors for the first time today.
Located at 3925 Walnut St., Philly Diner fills the vacancy left by El Diner, which shut down in June amid complaints of poor service and high prices after only four months on campus.
Philly Diner's opening day was a slow one, partially due to the fact that the opening was not publically announced or advertised.
"This week's going to be slow," diner operator Hossein Elbanna said. "Usually the first two weeks it'll be slow. You have no brand, you have nothing, so people have to know you, you know?"
Elbanna and University officials say Philly Diner is a genuine "greasy spoon," unlike El Diner and the '50s-themed Eat at Joe's, which occupied the spot until July 2000. Unlike El Diner, Philly Diner will not serve alcohol and will only be open 24 hours on weekends.
Noting the mere handful of customers in the diner yesterday, Elbanna said he considers this first week a "test run."
"We'll run it without any advertising," Elbanna said, emphasizing the need to proceed with caution in the initial stages of operation. "Then little by little, we'll increase the pace. It'll give us an idea of what to do."
While many students have yet to discover Philly Diner, the few that have were enthusiastic about its potential.
"I like the decor, the 1950s style and the chrome, it's trying to be All-American," College sophomore Gabriel Vidoni said. "For Philadelphia prices [this is] reasonable. My one complaint is that they don't have booths or a jukebox."
Despite the poor history of diners on Penn's campus, John Greenwood, a top official with the University's real estate company, said he is optimistic about Philly Diner's future.
"It's terrific, it's everything we had hoped for," Greenwood said.
With a big Liberty Bell icon between the words "Philly" and "Diner" on the front entrance sign, Elbanna is going for a strong local brand throughout the city and hopes to start a chain of 10 to 15 diners in Philadelphia. He already operates a Philly Diner by the airport and a diner called Benny's Place near Independence Hall.
"We want to be your favorite eatery in the whole city," Elbanna said.
Many students share Elbanna's high hopes.
"I haven't been there yet, but it looks cool," Wharton junior Chris Ortiz said. "Hopefully they're priced [lower] than El Diner."
The diner's menu includes breakfast specials at $2.99 and $4.99, sandwiches, wraps and burgers for $4 to $6 and sirloin strip steak at $14.99.
"I like it so far, the menu is great, the prices are reasonable," said second-year Dental student Margaret Polifko.
Though he believes the first few months may be slow, Elbanna remains confident that Philly Diner will become an establishment on campus, noting the amount of support the diner has received from the University.
There was "the deal the University cut us, as far as rent-wise, they gave us a break in the beginning," Elbanna said. "They were cooperative, they wanted a diner badly and they were willing to do anything to have the right kind of person do it."
Elbanna refused to elaborate on the details of the deal however, and University officials could not be reached for further comment.
Some students are waiting to see if the diner takes off or not.
"I don't know," said College sophomore Jessica Safier. "If friends hang out there, then I'll go. I think it depends on the quality of the dishes."
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