Counter Culture食客combine comfort food with updated touches are serving up big sales.
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Chances are, there's one in your past. You met your buddies there for Cokes and fries when you were a teenager or spent restless nights there nursing a bottomless cup of coffee. The food was simple, the Formica counter gleamed, and your waitress was always a character. A good diner is more than a restaurant: It's a haven for the tired and hungry.
Though they bring back memories, diners aren't purely nostalgic. In formats grand and small, typical and unique, old-fashioned and contemporary, diners are back, and they couldn't be moreau courant.
This isn't the diner's first big comeback. The mid-'80s saw a rash of slick, gimmicky restaurants looking to cash in on the diner's appeal. Though the singing, poodle-skirted waitresses drew a crowd, novelty alone couldn't sustain the trend. Apparently, Americans loved the good old days but not the bland, greasy cooking--especially at themerestaurantprices. As the entertainment value of these places diminished, so did their customer base.
