Diners of the 50's
A
popular hangout in the fifties was a diner. A diner is basically a small
roadside restaurant with booths and a long counter. You’ve probably seen lots
of old movies, right? Remember? The detective with a cup of coffee sitting at
the counter, while talking to the waitress…you should have been there to taste
their coffee! The lunch special would be there all day! The menu included
burgers, fries, tater-tots, and of course, your milkshake. After school, all the
cool cats would hit the diner and get some grub. Diners would also be a stop for
people to show off their cool cars. 
You’ve
probably heard of Sonic. Yep, Sonic, “America’s Drive-In,” was a diner. It
opened in 1953. Now, there are over 3,000 Sonic restaurants coast to coast. Did
you know that Sonic still deliver the food to the customer’s car on roller
skates?
You may be wondering, “What really makes a restaurant a diner?” the answer to this question is not easy. Everyone has his or her own idea of what a diner should have. Some people say jukebox, friendly service, and waitresses on roller skates, or maybe just coffee.
The
design of a diner was borrowed from a railroad car. The diner began when Walter
Scott was seventeen years old. He was a part-time pressman and type compositor
in Providence, Rhode Island. Around 1858, Scott sold sandwiches and coffee to
people who worked at night. By 1872, business was so good Scott quit his
printing job, and opened a horse-drawn express wagon outside Providence Journal
Newspaper office. Some people imitated Scott’s idea by manufacturing lunch
wagons for sale.
They improved the design by allowing customers to stand inside or sit on stools at the counter, so they wouldn’t have to be out in the terrible weather. The lunch wagon was a part of the early diner days. It was popular because people could purchase inexpensive meals at day or at night when many restaurants closed at 8:00 P.M. Around the 1950’s, many people moved out of the cities and into the suburbs. The diner now has stainless steel exterior and large windows. These designs were incorporated in 1953; some diners piped air conditioning into the car of the customer.
Today you can see the young and old at the local diners. . However, if you ask some adults that had their 'hay day' in the 1950's, they still might say..."my favorite place to eat is the diner."