62 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • AUGUST 2, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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‘Good food, good people’: Georgia Diner thrives in its new location
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
For Elmhurst’s Georgia Diner, the last
few months have been interesting, but
also successful.
Founded in 1978, the Georgia Diner
built a following of early birds and night
owls alike with its 24-hour diner service.
Back in February, Jimmy Kaloidis, owner
of the Georgia Diner, announced that
he would be closing down the Georgia
Diner’s original location on Queens
Boulevard at 55th Avenue.
Th e diner would merge with the Nevada
Diner, also owned by Kaloidis, located
down the road at 80-26 Queens Blvd. in
Elmhurst.
“Th e old Georgia Diner was a staple on
Queens Boulevard for about 40 years,”
said John Singh, manager of the Georgia
Diner. “It was much easier to move
because it was the same owner. We have
the same operations. Everything was the
same. We brought the tables here from
Georgia Diner.”
On March 25, the old Georgia Diner
location offi cially closed its doors, bringing
its staff and equipment over to the former
Nevada Diner, which assumed the
Georgia Diner name.
Now, not only is the new Georgia Diner
completely moved into its new location,
it’s thriving. Th e Georgia Diner logo now
stands tall on the corner, shining brightly
during the evening hours to draw in the
night crowd.
Every day Singh says four or fi ve new
customers from the old Georgia Diner are
fi nding the new location. Singh says that
they’re working to bring the feel of the
Georgia Diner to its new location.
“People were amazed at how much
food we produced at a fast pace,” Singh
said. “We’d have about 300 people sitting
down and we’d have food to them in
no more than 15 to 20 minutes. It’s not
possible, but we made it possible. We are
working on bringing that same fast service
to that location.”
Th e Georgia Diner still serves up the
same great eats that you would have
found at the old location. Whether you’re
coming in for their breakfast any time,
lunch, or even their lobster special, you
can count on the same delicious fare that
was available at their original location for
an aff ordable price.
“Our head chef from the beginning
used to work at the Nevada Diner and
at the old Georgia
Diner location.
We’re serving all
the quality food and
services as the old
Georgia Diner,” Singh
said. “Our chef is looking
to bring new, creative
specials from his expertise.”
Since reopening at their new
location, the Georgia Diner hasn’t
missed a step in their customer service.
However, one thing that the Georgia
Diner staff wasn’t prepared for was how
quickly business would pick up when
they moved.
“On Saturdays and
Sundays we have a
line from 9 a.m. to
3 or 4 p.m.,” Singh
said. “Now we’re
essentially two diners
in one location, and
the crowds hit more
than we expected.”
To accommodate the
crowds, the Georgia Diner is
looking to expand its parking lot
and its food preparation facilities.
“We’re going to try our best to be prepared
for what’s coming,” Singh said.
“We need a lot more parking, we have
about 54 spaces right now but we need
more parking spaces. We are working on
it, but it takes time. Th at diner was established
for 40 years, and in about a year
we’ll be full forced to handle the crowd.”
Despite the overcrowding, the Georgia
Diner loves their loyal customer base,
both old and new.
“For me, there’s no diff erence between
the Georgia Diner customer and the
Nevada Diner customer; they are my customer,”
Singh said. “We really appreciate
our customers. Th ey are proud of calling
themselves Georgia Diner regulars and
they followed us to the new location with
their family and friends.”
For more information or to see their
full menu, visit georgiadiner.com.
Photos by Emily Davenport and the Georgia Diner
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