Iconic 50s roadside diner where De Niro movie was shot is listed for sale in Connecticut - sparking closure fears
An iconic 70-year-old diner in Connecticut has been listed for sale, sparking fears it could be set to close.
The Olympia Diner, in Newington, has been serving truckers and locals since 1954, and has even featured in movies including 1989's Jacknife starring Robert De Niro.
The property is available for sale or long-term ground lease, according to a real estate listing, with an opportunity to add a drive-thru.
The diner remains open currently, and the owners have declined to comment on whether it will close if it sells, Hartford Business reported.
There have been a slew of restaurant closures across the US in recent months, as soaring food inflation and elevated running costs continue to hit businesses.
The Olympia Diner, in Newington, has been serving truckers and the local community since 1954
The Olympia Diner was built by the New Jersey-based Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company, which was said to have built over 2,000 diners from 1917 to 1941.
The diners were primarily metal buildings, which were created in a factory and then trucked to a location.
The Olympia originally opened in Massachusetts, and then was brought to Newington in 1954.
According to its website, it is the oldest stainless steel diner in the country.
The 'OD', as it is known by locals, has been owned by three families in its long history.
The current owners, the Gavrilis family, who are originally from Greece, bought the diner in 1974.
In 1986, the family added a dining room, doubling the square footage of the diner.
On the real estate listing, the property is advertised as one acre of commercial land.
As well as featuring in scenes from Jacknife, where De Niro and Ed Harris play Vietnam war veterans, the diner also features in Promises in the Dark, a 1979 drama starring Marsha Mason.
More recently, in 2009, a scene from Once More With Feeling, starring The Sopranos' Drea de Matteo was shot in the restaurant.
'That place has been a staple for my entire life,' one local wrote on Reddit at the prospect of the diner closing.
'I have so many great memories there. I'd be devastated to see it go.'
'Literally ate there this morning,' another customer reassured. 'It was pretty packed, no sign of them closing anytime soon.'
Facing increased competition from chains, diners have been on the decline for decades across the US.
Restaurants of all kinds are facing increased costs for food and labor, which is forcing many to close.
The diner has featured in movies including 1989's Jacknife starring Robert De Niro, Ed Harris and Kathy Baker
The 'OD', as it is known by locals, has been owned by three families in its 70-year history
According to its website, the Olympia Diner is the oldest stainless steel diner in the country
The Olympia originally opened in Massachusetts, and then was brought to Newington in 1954
Denny's, which has been dubbed 'America's diner' has shut 15 more restaurants across the US recently.
It is battling falling sales as Americans increasingly eat out less after two years of punishing price rises.
The closures come on top of 57 last year and 60 in 2022.
One that shut recently, on June 19, was the final remaining Denny's in Langthorne in Bucks County in Pennsylvania.
Another popular Denny's store was closed in Ashland, Ohio, last month.
Other restaurants are filing for bankruptcy.
World of Beer Bar & Kitchen was named among the fastest growing restaurant chains in the US in 2013. Last week, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying it owed suppliers as much as $50 million.
Meanwhile a few days prior, Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo filed for bankruptcy - just days after it abruptly shut 13 underperforming locations.
