FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 15, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11
Elmhurst’s Georgia Diner leaving original location after 40 years
BY RYAN KELLEY
rkelley@qns.com
Twitter @R_Kelley6
A favorite dining spot along Queens
Boulevard is closing its doors aft er 40
years of serving the Elmhurst community,
but its tradition will live on just a few
blocks away.
Georgia Diner, founded in 1978, will
close at its original location on March
25 and merge with the Nevada Diner,
less than half a mile away on Queens
Boulevard. John Singh, a manager at both
diners (owned by the same entrepreneur,
Jimmy Kaloidis), said that the Georgia
Diner will bring its famous name and
most of its staff to the new location, but
not much else will change.
“It’s the same food, the same service,
the same phone number, just a diff erent
address,” Singh said.
Singh explained that Kaloidis recently
decided to sell the building the Georgia
Diner has occupied for decades. Aft er
selling part of the parking lot to a developer
three years ago, Kaloidis was recently
off ered a price for the entire property
by the same developer and decided to
capitalize on it, Singh said. Th e application
for the demolition of the diner was
approved by the Department of Buildings
(DOB) on Feb. 7.
City records show that the diner was
sold for $14.25 million.
Th e Georgia Diner will replace the
Nevada Diner and bring its 24-hour service
along with it. Most of the Georgia
Diner employees will combine with
the old Nevada Diner staff to help with
the expected increase in business, but a
few people will have to be let go, Singh
said. Th e valet parking service at the old
Georgia Diner location won’t be continued
because the new location has a bigger
parking lot, but Singh said they will bring
it back if necessary.
Even though the Georgia Diner isn’t
moving far, the demolition of its former
site marks the end of an era.
“People know it very well, all of the
neighborhood, and the kids that are now
40 years old that were born there are really
emotional,” Singh said. “Th ey’re going
to miss it, and some of them really started
crying already.”
As for the merger, Singh expects it to
go smoothly. Business was never a problem
at the old Georgia Diner, and Singh
said their loyal customers will continue
to come to the new location. Singh also
explained that with the increase in minimum
wage and the ever-rising costs of
Photos by Ryan Kelley/RIDGEWOOD TIMES
food products, the merger will allow them
to continue off ering big meals at aff ordable
prices.
Th e site will have a much diff erent
appearance once the developer, My
Architect PC, is fi nished with the project.
According to DOB records, the new
structure will be 18 stories high, with four
fl oors of “community facility” use and
the remaining 14 stories for residential
use with 184 apartments. Construction
began in 2016 and the structure of the
fi rst four fl oors is currently in place.
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