Little Falls Diner, closed after 1995 fire, has new hope to return

The Little Falls Diner may soon get a new life.

The once-popular Paterson Avenue eatery that closed due to a 1995 fire, has been saved from the wrecking ball and if all goes according to one woman's plan, it may once again serve diner fare to the community.

Since the fire 28 years ago, the diner has stood in disrepair and an eyesore in the community, but just 15 days before it was scheduled to be demolished in March, it found a last-minute advocate in Dana Schaeffer.

Fans of the diner and other classic diners were relieved Schaeffer was able to see beyond the grime and charred interior.

"I grew up in Little Falls and have passed that diner throughout my whole life," Schaeffer said "As a child, I'd walk by with my parents and peer into the window and look at the old menu, creating a business plan in my imagination in hopes that one day I could open it."

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It remained a daydream until February when Schaeffer heard about its pending doom set for late March. Initially, her thought was that she had to go out and get pictures and make a video for posterity.

That short and bittersweet project didn't last long as a new idea blossomed from there.

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"I’ve always known the owners," Schaeffer said. "They knew I always loved that diner. So when demolition was scheduled they told me and that's when I was like 'hold on, I have to at least say I tried to save it.'"

As it turns out, trying to get the diner rehabbed was easier than she imagined. Social media helped as the local Instagram and Facebook followers enthusiastically embraced her concept.

It also dovetails in with the town's Downtown Redevelopment Plan to revitalize portions of Main Street and Paterson Avenue.

More than a decade ago Little Falls set its sights on giving the heart of its downtown, the triangular section formed by Paterson Avenue and Main and Maple streets, a makeover.

One of the major projects for that triangular section would be a 70-unit residential project, 13,000 square feet of retail space with new and wider sidewalks and shifted traffic patterns.

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"The revitalization of the Little Falls Diner on Paterson Ave could be an incredible addition to the downtown and would help restore some of the old town charm to the area," Little Falls Mayor James Damiano said. "In its current state, it's just an eyesore and detracts from all of the incredible improvements being made to the area."

Plans, Schaeffer said, remain in the conceptual stages. While she's done much to clean the dirt and soot in the diner, it remains a wreck, albeit one that can be fixed. She's met with the township's historical society and many agree the diner is worth preserving.

Schaeffer said the current diner, which is reminiscent of the Bendix Diner on Route 17 in Hasbrouck Heights, replaced an older one there during the 1930s.

While she is doubtful the current diner can be restored exactly as it was pre-fire, with the right backing, a reasonable facsimile could be possible.

"I want the walls to be covered with its history, and for the community to come together to rebuild it," she said. "That way, when anyone walks in with their friends, family or kids, they can say 'I helped with this'."

Attempts to contact the property's owners, listed in tax records as Cestone Associates, were not successful, but Schaeffer said since the fire there were a few unsuccessful attempts to reopen the diner.

Nor are her efforts assured to be successful.

There are a number of obstacles, not the least of which are monetary.

Schaeffer has spoken with diner restoration experts who have told her it will cost between $50,000 and $100,000 to restore the interior.

Schaeffer, who has a background in baking and food service, still dreams that one day the diner will reopen and she will bake and provide the community with great food that is locally sourced.

If she can get the right mix of capital and community volunteers, she said the diner may be reopened in the next year or two.