Iconic 1950s-Style Diner on 28th Street Permanently Closed
Dan's Diner on 28th Street in Grand Rapids is closing its door for good.
The 1950s-style diner shared the news on Facebook Tuesday saying the hardships of the past year have lead to the closure.
The announcement comes ahead of restrictions going into place at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday to close restaurants and bars for dine-in service across Michigan for three weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19. At the time of this post, more than 8,500 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported in the state of Michigan.
According to Wood TV 8, the owner, Dan Chudik, has been cooking in West Michigan for 30 years but took over diner only a couple of years ago.
Chudik tells Wood TV 8 that while the restrictions going into effect allow for carry-out and outside dining, he does not believe his business could survive without dine-in service:
“This thing has crushed a lot of people, crushed a lot of friends of mine in business. I’m just choosing not to go through another whole shutdown and everything. I can’t make it at 50%, so I really can’t make it when it’s just takeout.”
Prior to Chudik purchasing the restaurant in 2018, it was known as Pal's Diner, which had been operating on 28th Street since the mid-90s. According to Dan's Diner's website, Pal’s Diner was built in 1954 in Mahwah, New Jersey. The third owners, Barry and Sam Brown, moved the entire building, in one piece, to Grand Rapids in 1993 and re-opened in 1996.
Wood TV 8 reports that the diner was featured in a in a Meatloaf music video and the 2012 movie, “Touchback.”