The Trolley Car Diner turned off the grill and locked the doors for the last time yesterday, Oct 15, in Mount Airy near Philadelphia.
According to a Philadelphia Inquirer article from Aug, 27, 2019, Ken Weinstein, one of the partners in the diner, said that the diner would be closing on Oct 15 because “the diner is no longer financially sustainable.”
The Trolley Car Diner was once Joe Palooka’s Diner located at the Market Street Square (also known as The Station or Market Street) on E. Market St. and S. Wilkes-Barre Blvd in Wilkes-Barre.
Close to twenty years ago on November 5 1999, the diner was packaged up and relocated to its new home in Mount Airy. The diner was manufactured by the Mountain View Diners Company of New Jersey.
Here is the article from the Citizens’ Voice from Nov. 6, 1999 about the move.
Article from the Nov. 6, 1999 edition of the Citizens’ Voice. Times Shamrock Archives
Palooka’s was re-christened the Trolley Car Diner in 2000 and served the people of Mount Airy for 19 years.
There are still several Mountain View Diner Cars located in our area – Chick’s Diner and the Glider Diner, both in Scranton; the Lark Diner in Larksville, and the Village Diner in Milford.
Photographer Leah Frances, @americansquares, shared images of the dinner her instagram feed yesterday.
I have to say it looks the same as it did when I was in high school.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
