Another Longtime South Jersey Diner Shutters, But It Will Reopen Under New Ownership

MALAGA, NJ — Another longtime South Jersey diner has closed. But for the Malaga Diner, it's not goodbye — it's see you later.

The Malaga Diner shuttered after ownership sold the restaurant, the business announced last week. But the new owners will reopen it in April under a new name.

The diner, located on Harding Highway in Malaga, has operated for 25 years.

"We want to thank all of you for being with us throughout the years and wish the best of health and happiness to all of you," said the diner's Facebook page. "Thank you all."

In recent years, the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) issued the diner a "stop-work" order, which empowers the state to halt operations at job sites when investigators find strong evidence of worker exploitation.

The nature of the alleged exploitation and exactly when it occurred is unclear. State labor officials didn't include that information on a list of the 110 New Jersey businesses that received stop-work orders over a four-year period that ended last July.

But the Malaga Diner operated past that timeframe, indicating that the issue was resolved. Diner ownership told Patch that the order didn't factor into their decision to sell.

"We just decided to sell the price was good thats (sic) all theres (sic) no story behind it to be honest dol has been taken care of but like I said 25 years is a long time now its time for new adventures," Malaga Diner told Patch on Facebook messenger, via the business's Facebook page.

While the Malaga Diner's closure is temporary, several longtime South Jersey diners shuttered permanently in recent months.

The Red Lion Diner in Southampton closed abruptly last September after ownership sold the business, which operated for 50 years. Read more: Longtime Burlington County Diner Closes Abruptly

Last month, the Gateway Diner in Westville closed its doors. The business wanted to stay open but had to shutter because of the state's use of eminent domain in its Route 47 bridge-replacement project, the business said. The Gateway Diner operated under various names and ownership groups since 1940. Read more: Beloved NJ Diner 'Forced' To Close After 83 Years