Another classic NJ diner turns to rubble after more than 40 years

Every time I write one of these, I hope it’ll be the last.

It never is.

Now another piece of New Jersey diner history has disappeared. The Summit West Diner closed down in 2024, though longtime locals may remember it by its earlier name, West Side Diner. The building remained vacant since then. Now according to nj.com it’s been demolished after roughly four decades on Route 46.

What’s replacing it? Not apartments. Not another restaurant.

A parking lot.

The property was purchased by the neighboring Anchor Ace Hardware store, which plans to expand and use the space for additional parking. The old diner building was torn down over Memorial Day weekend.

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Photo by Tim Meyer on Unsplash

I know, I know. Businesses need room. Property owners can do what they want. I’m not arguing that.

I’m just saying it feels like another page being ripped from New Jersey’s scrapbook.

I’ve written before about the slow disappearance of our diners. The Menlo Park Diner in Edison is becoming an Indian restaurant. At least it’s staying in the food business. The Coach House Diner in Hackensack was sold to a national car wash company. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d type.

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Menlo Park Diner via Google Street View

And those are just recent examples.

Miss America Diner in Jersey City? Gone.

Penn Queen Diner in Pennsauken? Gone.

Galaxy Diner in Rahway? Gone.

Marlton Diner? Gone.

The list keeps getting longer and starts reading less like a restaurant guide and more like a memorial wall.

SEE ALSO: Another NJ diner shut down abruptly

Marlton Diner

The reasons aren’t hard to understand.

Labor costs are up. Food costs are up. Fewer diners operate 24 hours anymore. The giant menus and around-the-clock staffing that once defined Jersey diner culture have become harder to sustain.

New Jersey is still the diner capital of America. We still have legendary survivors like the historic Summit Diner that continue to carry the torch.

But every time another chrome-and-neon landmark comes down, you can’t help but wonder how many more chapters are left in the story.

This time, the story ends with a reminder of the lyrics from “Big Yellow Taxi.”

“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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