Fading slice of Americana:

Peter Berger’s NY Times article highlights the fading of the Greek Diner as a mainstay in the American culinary experience.

“…like many others in the business, foresees the end of a chapter in American restaurant history — the ownership of a large share of diners by Greek immigrants. The son and daughter he put through college have become Wall Street traders and are not interested in the long workdays and hurried vacations his job entails. Meanwhile, the immigration pipeline from Greece that peaked between the 1950s and 1970 has dried up as Greece has prospered. Mr. Karkambasis’ current staff of 23 hails mostly from South America.

All that is not to mention what Peter Makrias, publisher-editor of a magazine for the Greek-American food industry, says are the two most insidious forces wiping such diners off the map — the banks and chain drugstores that are buying up those enviable roadside locations and the competition from franchise restaurants.”

As ubiquitous as the corner tap in a bygone era, Greek Diners provided a sense of community, a meeting place where the owner knew everyone who walked in. Greek Diners specialized in creating customer advocacy long before the practice had a name.