The Diner That Started It All: Why I Couldn't Let the Little Falls Diner Disappear — Save NJ Diners
There are certain places you walk by as a kid that just stick with you. For me, it was the Little Falls Diner.
Growing up in town, I’d pass by it all the time with my mom and dad. Even though the diner had already been closed for years, I’d stare through the windows and imagine what it must’ve been like when it was open—plates clinking, coffee brewing, people laughing over late-night pancakes. I used to think, "What if one day I could reopen it?" I had no idea how, and I certainly didn’t think it was realistic. But that thought never completely went away.
Fast forward a few years, and I was still here—now as an adult, working next door at Bivio. Every day I’d walk past the same diner I used to dream about. By then, I had built a career in radio and developed a love for baking thanks to my grandma. I had one foot in storytelling and one in food—and without realizing it, those two passions were bringing me closer and closer to that old silver building.
Then in 2023, everything shifted. I found out the diner was set to be demolished in just a matter of days. That moment hit hard. I couldn’t let it happen—not without trying. So I reached out to the town, got in touch with the owners (who I’d already known from working next door), and started asking questions. I had no background in historic preservation, no official title, no big team behind me—just a gut feeling that this place mattered and was worth saving.
What happened next was kind of magic. People started reaching out. Locals shared memories of grabbing coffee there in the ’80s. Reporters called. Volunteers offered help. It wasn’t just about nostalgia—it was about community. About holding on to something real in a world where everything’s getting a little too polished and replaceable.
That’s how Save NJ Diners was born.
This site started with one diner, but it’s not just about Little Falls anymore. It’s about all the diners that shaped our neighborhoods, the ones that are still standing, the ones hanging on, and even the ones we’ve lost. It’s about the people who worked in them, ate in them, and made memories inside them.
This is your space, too. If you know a diner that needs help, want to share a memory, or just want to shine a light on a place that still makes a great grilled cheese at 2 a.m.—you’re in the right spot.
Let’s tell these stories before they’re gone.