Nancy's Diner Update: Jukebox In, Grand Opening Delayed

Lenny Abreu has both hands on the retro jukebox, as though he's about to tilt a pinball machine.

Instead, he pushes a few buttons and explains that while the music maker is "an oldie but goodie," it seems to need just the right touch.

And with that, he blows on his fist and gives the machine a nudge, reminiscent of The Fonz at Arnold's in a "Happy Days" episode, coaxing tunes, sans coinage, with a simple yet totally cool fist bump.

A few seconds later the familiar strains of "Rockin' Robin" fill the dining area that will soon welcome "guests" as Abreu always refers to his future Nancy's Diner patrons.

"Rockin' Robin" is "their" song, Lenny and mancy Abreu, who have been relentlessly working on their '50s theme diner.

Progress has been steady, but sidetracked by various realities of refurbishing and refitting a retro eatery with a long history on Canal Street.

New grand opening target for Nancy's Diner is the week of July 22.


"Realistically, we're looking at about two weeks out. We want our guests to have a great experience, and so even though I wish we could've made our July 1 deadline, we're getting close," Abreu said.

He shows off his wife Nancy's top-secret hand-crafted table tops, each one-of-a-kind and reflecting a different theme.

"I love the way she's done these, each one's unique. There's the Nashua table, and the sci-fi table -- the counter top is done, but you can see it's under wraps -- top secret," Abreu said.

Still needed: Some plumbing hook-ups in the kitchen, delayed by an unanticipated underground city pipe replacement outside.

"Menu is done, our staff is hired -- we are planning a few days of training, and pretty much, that's it," Abreu said.

Nashua Patch will continue to bring you progress reports on Nancy's diner. Stay tuned. In the meantime, follow them on Facebook, and share with your friends!