A recent fire has left a beloved Finger Lakes area restaurant severely damaged, leaving both the community and the owners devastated and unsure about its future.
At around midnight on Wednesday, May 21, the Penn Yan Diner in downtown Penn Yan, a Finger Lakes community in Yates County, caught on fire for reasons that are still unknown.
"I was able to see, unfortunately, the glow of the building from pretty far away," said Alicia Avellaneda, co-owner of the diner, which is an award-winning mainstay of the area.
"In a restaurant, there's so many pieces of equipment; there's everything from fryers to dryers, to griddles, to washers, and all of that's still under investigation," said Nate Salpeter, who, along with Avellaneda and two others, has co-owned the diner for two- and-a-half years. "Until the report comes out, I think all of us are, like, anxiously waiting."
Salpeter, heartbroken by the recent turn of events, spoke about how the 99-year-old diner is embedded in the area's history.
"It was brought in 1925, or the end of 1924, perhaps. Just imagine: it comes in on the rail — two cars pulled off the rails and put into place almost directly."
For nearly a century, locals and tourists alike have entered the metal building's doors and sat on one of the counter's oak stools, ordering a classic American breakfast of pancakes or French toast while enjoying bottomless coffee. Since purchasing the business, Salpeter and Avellaneda have made sure to memorialize the original restaurant's look, feel, and menu while also evolving to meet their patrons' needs.
"We have the iconic diner feel and vibe, but we also have still tried to make it more modern and inclusive of everything within our community," Avellaneda said.
This has meant featuring local produce and food items on their menu, from burger buns to hot sauce, while also creating a plant-based version of nearly everything to cater to evolving dietary habits.
Salpeter, who doesn't eat meat, noted that this approach allowed him to have an amazing diner meal whenever he wanted.
"A diner roll with a plant-based egg and plant-based patty and all the fixings on top of it," he said, explaining his go-to meal. "A side of home fries. Oh, and local Sudsy's Hot Sauce."
Amidst the fire's aftermath, which has left the owners uncertain about the future, there is one bright spot: their immense gratitude to the firefighters who were the first on the scene.
"They were very good at getting in there and trying to save it so that it didn't spread anywhere else," Avellaneda said.
The blaze didn't just shock the owners, who are now working diligently to deal with insurance and figure out next steps; it also sent shockwaves among the many regulars in and around upstate New York.
"A big part of what keeps us going right now is people reaching out with their stories, with their photos of what this place means to the community," Avellaneda said.
Over the years, that appreciation has been echoed by numerous mentions on various lists, ranking the Penn Yan Diner as one of the best in New York State.
"You don't just go to the Penn Yan Diner to eat pancakes. You go there to be with your friends and to be a part of the community. Something that's bigger than just a building," Avellaneda said.
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