Bendix Diner Will Reopen After Renovations, New Owner Says: See Timeline

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — The 78-year-old Bendix Diner in Bergen County is going to be saved, the new owner said Tuesday.

It's just going to be moved in order to be restored, he said.

Peter Meskouris, who bought the iconic diner last month with his brother and son, said in an interview on Tuesday that the restaurant — which was closed by the town of Hasbrouck Heights in January due to faulty equipment — will need work, but he plans to restore it to its original condition. He also gave a timeline.

In January, John Diakakis, who co-owned the eatery with family members, told Patch that he was doing everything in his power to reopen it. Diakakis, who is legally blind and a single father, was the subject of a documentary in 2022 about his challenges and successes running the restaurant.

He acknowledged in January that the diner had been shut due to longtime problems with the fire suppression system. His mother, the former owner, had gotten sick in 2024 and passed away at the end of the year, leaving Diakakis juggling multiple responsibilities.

"I worked every single day up until her services," Diakakis said at the time. "I just felt kind of lost Friday when they came with the tape and everything like that."

'We're Lifting The Diner'

Peter Meskouris, who co-owns the Jackson Hole Diner in Queens, said he and his brother restore diners as a hobby. He closed on the sale last month, with brother Alex and son James as partners.

He said that when he took a tour, he thought it couldn't be saved.

"I wanted to see condition," he said. "It was in very, very bad shape. We were thinking of knocking it down, putting another '50s diner there. We decided it's major major work, but we're going to keep that diner there."

He said that next week, he will remove the structure from its foundation, put it elsewhere on the property, and create a new foundation to last another hundred years.

"It's the Meadowlands," he said. "Jersey's filled with a lot of underwater streams. We're lifting the diner. The diner actually comes in two pieces. You would buy a diner and add on an extra dining room. It's like adding a sunroof to your car."

He said he will restore everything in the diner, including the neon and stainless steel fixtures. "That diner is unique," he said. "We're going to save it."

He estimated that it could take eight months to a year to reopen it.

He said he'll keep the name, but it may be altered to "Bendix Diner By Jackson Hole."

Nearly anyone who's traveled through Bergen County has seen the Bendix, located at the crux of busy Route 17 and Williams Avenue in Hasbrouck Heights. During the day, truckers often filled the wide lot in front.

What About John?

Meskouris said that if former owner Diakakis wants to stay involved by working there, "We would 100 percent make it work."

Help may come from another source as well.

Two New Jersey legislators have proposed a bill to try to help the state's diners stay in business.

The "Saving Our Diners and Protecting Our Past Act" would allow for a sales and use tax exemption and for tax credits for historic diners and restaurants included on an annual registry. (It can be found here.)

Recent losses, including the Americana Diner in Jersey City, have made it clear that some longtime diners in the state are struggling.

Jersey Diner History

New Jersey is known for its classic diners. Because of the Garden State's location between New York City and Philadelphia, it was historically a popular place to create and ship prefab diners.

The Bendix opened in 1947. It was named for the Bendix Corporation, which was influential in the area and had a plant nearby at Teterboro Airport.

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