The New York City Diner Makes a Comeback
The return of famed Kellogg’s in Williamsburg is just one part of the story.
Blueberry pancakes with lemon curd will be on the menu at the forthcoming B&L Diner.
Source: Hospitality Department
When the Kellogg’s Diner in Williamsburg underwent a desperately needed makeover in 2008, fans of the then-80-year-old greasy spoon rebelled against the flashy new signs and refinished chrome facade. “It’s too new,” a local bartender complained to the New York Times about the restoration. “Why reinvent something that’s already good?”
Late last year, Kellogg’s shuttered, another victim of the increasingly tenuous economics of running a diner. The model—lengthy menus that require increasingly expensive ingredients, extended business hours and modest pricing—has become unsustainable in today’s climate. It hasn’t helped that many diners are family-owned and resistant to change and that some sit on pricey real estate that could be put to more profitable use. Food-savvy New Yorkers expect fresh ingredients (not the frozen staples in use on many diner menus), and the surly ethos of old-timey diner service doesn’t carry the same charm it once did.