Long Beach Diner, Mainstay For Decades, 'Preserves Memorable' Past

LONG BEACH, NY — For more than 90 years, the Laurel Diner has served comfort food favorites in Long Beach.

While Andrew Loucas and his brother Peter have owned the famous greasy spoon for the past 17 years, they're ensuring the past remains untouched.

"You have to preserve a lot of the elements that made it memorable," Andrew Loucas told Patch.

The Loucases started a renovation in the last 10 years in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The building, being so close to the ocean, often flooded.

They hired a top restaurant interior designer from Rhode Island to keep the vibe from yesteryear.

Older customers will recall the Laurel Diner, or luncheonette as it was called then, as it was originally part of the Laurel Theater, which was torn down in the 1990s.

"We wanted to amplify that memory," he said.

Using photos, the designers transported patrons to the Laurel's earlier self, complete with the art deco style, as part of its modernization.

Aside from the food, Loucas said the diner appeals to locals and visitors seeking vintage.

Loucas grew up in the Bronx, as his father bought his first coffee shop after coming to America in the early 1970s in East Harlem.

"We were exposed to diner life at an early age," he said.

Andrew, who became a mechanical engineer and holds a marketing degree, now calls Rockville Centre home, while Peter, an accountant by trade, lives in Port Washington.

Initially, when the Long Beach property went on the market, they saw it more as a real estate play.

Although the diner is a dying breed, Loucas has been able to keep his business viable.

"It's labor extensive, the cost structure becomes much higher," Loucas said. "We're lucky enough to be the property holders as well as we don't have to compete with landlords' demands."

However, the current national egg crisis is the latest hurting the Laurel's bottom line.

"Our profit margin is, as small as it has become, has become even smaller," he said.

Loucas said it led to a 5-percent increase on the menu. There is concern that the venerable eatery could lose customers, but Loucas said that would mean "we cut back on labor and maybe we'll save there. It's a sad situation."

They've also drastically cut back on the menu, but burgers and breakfast items haven't left.

"We're kind of going back to the basics, and that's helping," he said.

One item that didn't make the cut, the Beefcake, is so popular that customers still request the "secret" item, a hamburger sandwiched between pancakes, bacon, an egg and cheese.

A main reason the Loucases enjoy the restaurant is the community.

"Long Beach has been great. We love doing what we're doing," he said. "We're there to maintain [the Laurel] and hopefully keep it going for the next generation of owners and patrons."

The Laurel Diner is located at 300 W. Park Ave.