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Posted: 5/30/2010 9:48:59 PM EST
Was in a local 60s retro diner a while back and it is always packed. The other "wanna start a bar" thread made me think about if it would work. A 50s style diner w/ an era gas station like this. Stuff like this always seems to get a cult following in CA along with a shit ton a looky loos/tourists.






Maybe a era tanker too. Would a refinery let someone pick up their own fuel?


I am not thinking of trying it(atleast any time soon). Seems like it would be a pain in the ass, like any other restaurant or business to run. But would be kinda cool.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 9:53:00 PM EST
[#1]
Restaurants are really tough to start.  Successfully, anyways.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 9:53:12 PM EST
[#2]
If the food, service and prices are good, why not? And the pesons serving/cooking the food aren't the ones checking the oil and dispensing gas.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 9:55:11 PM EST
[#3]
Two separate businesses.  Keep em separate.  Start one, then the other once it starts working.  Then the theme hotel and campground.
Then whatever.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 9:57:41 PM EST
[#4]
How about a retro 50s/60s gas station, diner AND a drive-in movie theater? For the nostalgic folks, that should draw em in like flies. Of course if the food, service and movies are good, you'll also get a ton of folks who could give less than a shit about the 50s.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 9:58:13 PM EST
[#5]
Location, Location, Location...
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 9:59:09 PM EST
[#6]
Quoted:
How about a retro 50s/60s gas station, diner AND a drive-in movie theater? For the nostalgic folks, that should draw em in like flies. Of course if the food, service and movies are good, you'll also get a ton of folks who could give less than a shit about the 50s.


That would be a good idea. Would draw in all the classic car groups that do weekend drives in like flies.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 9:59:42 PM EST
[#7]
No.

At least not in Princeton, TX

There was a burger joint called "Bel Air Burger", it was a retro type place, complete with old cars inside and everything

Just went out of business.

Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:02:51 PM EST
[#8]
Quoted:
Location, Location, Location...


That about says it!!
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:03:12 PM EST
[#9]
If you keep the uniforms, food,menu,music and attitudes at a 50's pace as well then I could see it doing well at the right location. Just have to find good characters to work there.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:04:46 PM EST
[#10]
Quoted:
No.

At least not in Princeton, TX

There was a burger joint called "Bel Air Burger", it was a retro type place, complete with old cars inside and everything

Just went out of business.



Yea like 'Tony-Ri' said about location there are areas of cali that are "knick knock' meccas. It would be too easy to over do it and make it just weird in other areas.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:05:46 PM EST
[#11]
Nowadays, fueling up is something you do on the way to doing something else. It's not a destination in itself.

How many folks are willing to plan their vehicle refill around their lunch hour?

Yes, the novelty of a gas station/diner will draw in some customers - until the novelty wears off.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:06:49 PM EST
[#12]
If the food is good nothing else matters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAsA00-5KoI
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:10:20 PM EST
[#13]
Personally I love places like that.  There is this place in Orlando called Johnny Rocket's that I always make a point of stopping at when ever I'm in town.



It's not in that great of a location but once you stumble across it you just keep coming back.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:11:51 PM EST
[#14]
Quoted:
Personally I love places like that.  There is this place in Orlando called Johnny Rocket's that I always make a point of stopping at when ever I'm in town.

It's not in that great of a location but once you stumble across it you just keep coming back.


Yea we have a Johnny Rockets at a local mall. Employees are better than any other local place I have been to along with the food.

Quoted:
Nowadays, fueling up is something you do on the way to doing something else. It's not a destination in itself.

How many folks are willing to plan their vehicle refill around their lunch hour?

Yes, the novelty of a gas station/diner will draw in some customers - until the novelty wears off.


Why would it not get regular gas station traffic if it was in a normal location and has regular prices?

Not like I would go out there and put a shotgun(Model 97 obviously ) in their face and make them also buy food.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:43:33 PM EST
[#15]
Quoted:
Why would it not get regular gas station traffic if it was in a normal location and has regular prices?

Not like I would go out there and put a shotgun(Model 97 obviously ) in their face and make them also buy food.


Unless you're able to supplement the gas station with profits from the cafe, you won't be charging market price for your gas. Not if you really run an authentic old fashioned filling station. First of all, they didn't have self serve. You will have a few employees to pay. They had a guy or two, in uniform come to your pump, fill your tank, clean your windshield, check your oil and the air in your tires.  They would take your payment and when they returned with your change, they would offer you a free roadmap.

Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:51:32 PM EST
[#16]
i dont think the mixing of businesses is a great idea, but the retro diner thing does play well in certain markets. Your customers are old people and families with young kids, so it must be affordable. The kind of food people expect at a place like that is not too complicated, so doing a good job with flat top burgers and signature meatloaf is pretty simple, from an operations perspective.

Other than restaurants (no matter how good they are) being hit or miss at best, the biggest problem with the 50s diner vibe is the buildout would be retarded expensive. You just cant cut corners, and attention to detain has to be above and beyond most restaurant niches. I would bet you could build out a contemporary fine dining joint for less money.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:55:07 PM EST
[#17]
If it is in a good location, and the food and service are good, then it should be ok.

Just make sure you have enough cash to sustain yourself and your restaurant for a year to a year and a half with no profit. Seems like it takes about that long these days to start breaking even and making some coin.
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 10:59:49 PM EST
[#18]
Aglamesis Brothers Ice cream

Serving deserts since 1913
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 11:02:26 PM EST
[#19]
A few years ago there was a 50s style diner in Palm Springs, CA. Shittiest workers on earth. We sat there for a good 30 minutes before anyone even asked us what kind of drinks we wanted. And when they did bring out the food the order was messed up and they wouldn't fix it.

We left a tip of $.09 and wrote in "because you ain't worth a dime"
Link Posted: 5/30/2010 11:05:44 PM EST
[#20]
How about a damned good diner....24 hours with an in house bakery....everything on the menu available 24 hours.
Decent service, decent prices...A nice place for everyone, young and old to hang out at...
That's what I miss about NJ...loads of REAL diners...

You get the breakfast crowd...the lunch crowd, and at night the bar closers and the high school kids.




Link Posted: 5/30/2010 11:55:16 PM EST
[#21]
You really want to make some money, put in an  old-style gas pump. The kind that you filled the gas into a glass bowl then let it drain into your gas tank.

There's a gas pump museum in New Mexico, it's about 3/4 of the way from ABQ to Santa Fe. Sort of a hole in the wall place but it had about  a couple dozen old pumps for sale. These pumps were active through the latter part of the 1970s; they were popular in places where electricity wasn't available.

He'd sell you one for $2000 or so.
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 12:22:01 AM EST
[#22]
Keep them seperate, but by all means, start them close to each other.

Restaurant wise:
FRESH FRESH FRESH, I cannot stress this enough.  Fresh tastes better.
Use locally grown food
Use quality meat products
COMPETENT STAFF

Service station:
Expect to charge more, unless you can get a deal going with your local branch of Shell.  If not, because they won't cut you a deal on gasoline, but moreso as well because the pumps will NOT be self-service.

Other things to consider, I don't think old pumps meet the safety/metering standards.  So you're probably going to be stuck pretty much putting an "old-style exterior", over a newer gas pump.

Uniforms, keep them retro.  Striped shirts, "SHELL" caps, all that jazz.

All in all, if you can get in with any of the classic car clubs, they'll probably eat it up.

Good luck, entrepreneur!

-Richard-
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 12:29:19 AM EST
[#23]
just don't play 50's music
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 12:30:53 AM EST
[#24]
whoops, doubletap
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 8:51:20 AM EST
[#25]
Quoted:
Keep them seperate, but by all means, start them close to each other.

Restaurant wise:
FRESH FRESH FRESH, I cannot stress this enough.  Fresh tastes better.
Use locally grown food
Use quality meat products
COMPETENT STAFF

Service station:
Expect to charge more, unless you can get a deal going with your local branch of Shell.  If not, because they won't cut you a deal on gasoline, but moreso as well because the pumps will NOT be self-service.

Other things to consider, I don't think old pumps meet the safety/metering standards.  So you're probably going to be stuck pretty much putting an "old-style exterior", over a newer gas pump.

Uniforms, keep them retro.  Striped shirts, "SHELL" caps, all that jazz.

All in all, if you can get in with any of the classic car clubs, they'll probably eat it up.

Good luck, entrepreneur!

-Richard-


Forgot about that. The new ones seem a lot bigger than the old ones. I wonder if there would still be a way to make them look 'period'.
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 8:56:32 AM EST
[#26]
Nowadays its the gas station/Subway
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 9:02:47 AM EST
[#27]
I have this in my rec room.

Link Posted: 5/31/2010 9:07:43 AM EST
[#28]
Just remember 90% of all businesses started fail in the first year, personally Id love a retro gas station and food joint
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 9:11:43 AM EST
[#29]
A risky proposition.  Success will depend on a lot of things going right and nothing going wrong.  Where I live (eastern burbs of Cleveland OH) a local businessman (a successful one) had a similar dream - operating an old-fashioned diner.  He bought two old diner cars, refurbished them and opened for business.  IIRC he lasted about a year.  Weak location, poor financing did him in.  The diners are now on their fourth owner.  The latest owner remodeled them again, took out the benches, put in real tables and chairs.  They look like diner cars from the outside but a real restaurant inside.  They seem to be doing ok now, but time will tell.
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 9:13:06 AM EST
[#30]
This place does it, but without the actual gas anymore.



-V



http://www.quakersteakandlube.com/main.html
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 9:15:15 AM EST
[#31]
Florida used to have "Angels" diners about 10 years ago..all the look with chrome and such...went under though...
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 9:16:28 AM EST
[#32]
I doubt the eco-weenies would let you install vintage gas pumps.  They kill endangered species just by their very presence, ya know?

 
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 9:26:43 AM EST
[#33]
There is a 24 hour diner here. Not sure how popular it is. I've been a few times but not on a regular basis  (we had coupons).
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 9:55:08 AM EST
[#34]
The retro days are history. Give it up.
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 10:01:44 AM EST
[#35]




Quoted:

Was in a local 60s retro diner a while back and it is always packed. The other "wanna start a bar" thread made me think about if it would work. A 50s style diner w/ an era gas station like this. Stuff like this always seems to get a cult following in CA along with a shit ton a looky loos/tourists.



http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/d79e80b6-dc76-469f-b65c-e69e6e8a613a.jpg

http://travel.slygoose.com/images/P7300127.JPG



http://www.strangevehicles.com/images/content/154724.jpg



Maybe a era tanker too. Would a refinery let someone pick up their own fuel?


http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blog/100_0249%5B1%5D.JPG



I am not thinking of trying it(atleast any time soon
). Seems like it would be a pain in the ass, like any other restaurant or business to run. But would be kinda cool.


Three words...  Topless, Topless, Topless  ftw!!!

Link Posted: 5/31/2010 10:34:37 AM EST
[#36]
I would consider the current age of the population that is "nostalgic" about the 1950's.........now mostly in their 70's-80's

Good food and cheap gas is going to trump chromed booths and pictures of James Dean once that "1st visit" novelty wears off
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:11:40 AM EST
[#37]
Quoted:

Quoted:
Was in a local 60s retro diner a while back and it is always packed. The other "wanna start a bar" thread made me think about if it would work. A 50s style diner w/ an era gas station like this. Stuff like this always seems to get a cult following in CA along with a shit ton a looky loos/tourists.

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/d79e80b6-dc76-469f-b65c-e69e6e8a613a.jpg
http://travel.slygoose.com/images/P7300127.JPG

http://www.strangevehicles.com/images/content/154724.jpg

Maybe a era tanker too. Would a refinery let someone pick up their own fuel?
http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blog/100_0249%5B1%5D.JPG

I am not thinking of trying it(atleast any time soon). Seems like it would be a pain in the ass, like any other restaurant or business to run. But would be kinda cool.

Three words...  Topless, Topless, Topless  ftw!!!


Would OSHA allow a topless fill station worker?
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:32:23 AM EST
[#38]




Quoted:

Personally I love places like that. There is this place in Orlando called Johnny Rocket's that I always make a point of stopping at when ever I'm in town.



It's not in that great of a location but once you stumble across it you just keep coming back.




I've always enjoyed Johnyy Rocket's whenver I bump into one.  Good stuff!
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:34:51 AM EST
[#39]
Quoted:
Was in a local 60s retro diner a while back and it is always packed. The other "wanna start a bar" thread made me think about if it would work. A 50s style diner w/ an era gas station like this. Stuff like this always seems to get a cult following in CA along with a shit ton a looky loos/tourists.

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/d79e80b6-dc76-469f-b65c-e69e6e8a613a.jpg
http://travel.slygoose.com/images/P7300127.JPG

http://www.strangevehicles.com/images/content/154724.jpg

Maybe a era tanker too. Would a refinery let someone pick up their own fuel?
http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blog/100_0249%5B1%5D.JPG

I am not thinking of trying it(atleast any time soon). Seems like it would be a pain in the ass, like any other restaurant or business to run. But would be kinda cool.


Steak and Shake never went away.    http://www.steaknshake.com/
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:37:15 AM EST
[#40]
Ed Debevic's in Chicago is pretty popular.  It's definitely one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Chicago.  It's a 50's style restaurant, just without the gas.

I'd imagine there would be a ton of regulatory issues from running BOTH a restaurant and a gas station simultaneously.
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:37:39 AM EST
[#41]
Joe's Tune-Up Garage & Salad Bar?
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:40:23 AM EST
[#42]
Quoted:
Aglamesis Brothers Ice cream

Serving deserts since 1913


One of their TWO locations is just up the road from me.  Every wife-gift occasion (christmas, anniversary, b-day, v-day, M-day, etc) they get $50 from me for a box of chocolate for the wifey.  Only kind of boxed chocolate she likes.  It's just candy and ice cream (at this locations).  That's a long time for one or two stores to sell mostly candy and ice cream.
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:42:36 AM EST
[#43]
I'd say if there is a couple of vintage car clubs in your area your resturant idea  would  probably have a decent appeal. Depending on your menu and the resturants vibe. Keep it small

Keep your menu simple , Use  fresh ingrediants Offer flavored cokes and choc shakes with whip cream and a cherry

Catchy name will help ie  Dot's , Fender's , Hubz etc etc.

Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:44:07 AM EST
[#44]


Love it!!!!

I've got these outside my garage (made 'em myself)
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 11:44:29 AM EST
[#45]
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 7:17:03 PM EST
[#46]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Was in a local 60s retro diner a while back and it is always packed. The other "wanna start a bar" thread made me think about if it would work. A 50s style diner w/ an era gas station like this. Stuff like this always seems to get a cult following in CA along with a shit ton a looky loos/tourists.

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/d79e80b6-dc76-469f-b65c-e69e6e8a613a.jpg
http://travel.slygoose.com/images/P7300127.JPG

http://www.strangevehicles.com/images/content/154724.jpg

Maybe a era tanker too. Would a refinery let someone pick up their own fuel?
http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blog/100_0249%5B1%5D.JPG

I am not thinking of trying it(atleast any time soon). Seems like it would be a pain in the ass, like any other restaurant or business to run. But would be kinda cool.


Steak and Shake never went away.    http://www.steaknshake.com/


Where are they located? When I type in any adress it just says "no locations near you". They should also list them, I would love to try a place like that if I was on a trip near one.
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 7:22:16 PM EST
[#47]
Just drove the Duster here the other night on a date.  I've often thought about doing the exact same thing.
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 7:49:12 PM EST
[#48]



Quoted:


Personally I love places like that.  There is this place in Orlando called Johnny Rocket's that I always make a point of stopping at when ever I'm in town.



It's not in that great of a location but once you stumble across it you just keep coming back.


i hate to break it to you, but Johnny Rocket's a huge franchise and the food is good!



 
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 8:16:08 PM EST
[#49]
Quoted:
No.

At least not in Princeton, TX

There was a burger joint called "Bel Air Burger", it was a retro type place, complete with old cars inside and everything

Just went out of business.



wrong!! princeton is a little town full of whacked out meth head tweakers that cant afford toilett paper much less some over priced hamburgers, and don't get me started on the solid white trash they had working there......good grief i was surprised to see it last as long as it did

i do however think that the italian joint that took over the building will do well
there is one in anna and it is fantastic!!

by the way go to daddy'os in farmersville,,, now that is a fifties diner. it has been there for a long time and is very successfull
or the malt shop in anna
or pride burger in mckinney
Link Posted: 5/31/2010 8:21:26 PM EST
[#50]
For the full experience the restrooms should have "Whites Only" and all the decor should be pre Civil Rights era homage to the Glory of what America was at that time /...
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