Grand Opening, Grand Closing: Family's Lawsuit Forces Historic NJ Diner To Shutter Again

PATERSON, NJ — The new owners of Paterson's historic Mr. G's Diner said the eatery will close again on Sunday, Sept. 29 — after the family of the original "Mr. G" took them to court over the use of his name.

It's been only six weeks since the diner reopened, and owners Yaakoub Hijazi and Vaughn McKoy said the ongoing litigation presented "significant" challenges.

The closure is effective as of 5 p.m. Sunday.

“If we do re-open, it will be under a new name," Hijazi and McKoy said in a statement.

The diner sits at the corner of 10th Avenue and East 18th Street, and has changed hands multiple times since it was first built in 1940 (then named Pickering's Grill). Russell “G” Graddy, a local civil rights activist, bought it in 2008 — and his family kept it running for a time after his death in 2021, with plans to re-open it elsewhere.

But before they could do so, the new owners opened the diner again in mid-August — under the same name. This was despite protests from the Graddy family, and his estate filed a federal lawsuit on the same day the diner opened its doors again.

In a statement, Hijazi and McKoy noted that the diner has deep connections to the community, and said they were "deeply saddened" to announce the closure.

"Unfortunately, while our passion for this beloved establishment remains strong, the financial reality is that it no longer makes sense to continue," they said on Wednesday. “Litigation over the name of our diner has presented significant operational challenges, which unfortunately prevented our vision for Mr. G’s Diner from coming to fruition."

The family was seeking an injunction to prevent the owners from using the name, saying they violated federal trademark law by touting the "Mr. G's" brand and using an old logo to promote the restaurant.

The lawsuit refers to the restaurant as "the Counterfeit Diner," and claims the owners are trying "to actively deceive consumers into believing that Mr. G’s Diner closed for renovations and will 'reopen' one day to continue serving consumers the same quality of goods and services as (the original) Mr. G’s Diner."

These new owners "have been shameless in their unlawful efforts to mislead the public into believing that (the) Counterfeit Diner is the same beloved diner business that was once operated by the Graddys," his family said.

A two-block section of 10th Avenue is named for Graddy, who also managed a restaurant and gift shop in the Atlantic City Bus Terminal with his wife Loretta for close to 20 years.

Previous coverage:

• Family Of Deceased NJ Diner Owner Sues New Owners Over Use Of His Name
• Historic North Jersey Diner Re-Opens This Weekend, After Renovations