Farmingdale's Whiskey Down Diner Celebrates 5 Years: 'Thank You'

FARMINGDALE, NY — Whiskey Down Diner of Farmingdale is set to celebrate its fifth anniversary in June.

The diner is owned by siblings Alyson, John and Kristina Kanaras, and their father, Peter. The siblings practically grew up at the Olympic Diner in Deer Park, which Peter has owned for 44 years.

Since opening on June 5, 2019, the Kanaras family business has faced the coronavirus pandemic, inflation, and the cancer diagnosis of one of their own. But the challenges have forged them and only made them stronger and more resilient.

"You have to try to come out of negative things with a positive attitude," Alyson told Patch.

Alyson said it feels "pretty crazy" that the diner has been open for five years and that time has gone fast. Whiskey Down Diner, located at 252 Main Street, has evolved into one of the most successful restaurants in a village full of quality dining options.

"My whole philosophy is keeping good food consistently," Alyson said. "Even though I can’t be here all the time, I don’t want things to look different or taste different. I want things to be fresh and prepared correctly. I think people really took a liking to us knowing we’re a family business and that we’re always here and working. They see that and they appreciate it."

Whiskey Down Diner had not been open for a year when the pandemic hit and businesses were shut down nationwide. Indoor dining was severely limited for a time, and eateries had to pivot to takeout to survive the winter and spring. Alyson said staying afloat during that period and adapting was "definitely the hardest thing" from a business perspective.

"We’re very lucky here," she said. "We lucked out in our spot. We put the time and money into making the [outdoor dining] patio as nice as it can. It’s been a real attraction for us here. That’s a big positive we have."

Being a small business owner in New York comes with its own set of challenges, but the Farmingdale community has treated the diner well, Alyson said.

"People think we’re always busy, and we are, I’m very grateful," she said. "But we’re small inside. Until we get the outside, we only have 70 seats in here. So yeah, it looks like we’re always busy, but it’s not easy being in New York. Payroll is high. Cost of everything is high. I saw a lot of people like, 'Whiskey Down south! Whiskey Down south! Open in Florida!' But I feel like we’ve really found a home here in Farmingdale. I’d like to open another location, but I feel like we’ve hit a home run here in Farmingdale. I think that as long as we keep putting the work in and serving quality food and having a friendly staff, that’s the key to our success. I feel like that’s the most important thing. We’re going to get through things, as long as we have those two components, and I’m confident in that."

The Kanaras family's world was rocked in a personal way in February 2022 when Kristina's son, Luke Mohan, was diagnosed with stage four high-risk neuroblastoma cancer at the age of 4.

"When anyone in your family gets diagnosed with something like cancer, it’s really hard," Alyson said. "Especially to watch a 4-year-old suffer like he did at the time."

Luke is now cancer free. Kristina was very involved with people at Memorial Sloan Kettering, where Luke was treated. The Kanaras family has used Whiskey Down Diner as a vehicle to give back to those fighting cancer, whether it donates money to vaccine trials, donates a portion of milkshake sales or helps with toy drives for local foundations.

"We have a huge platform here," Alyson said. "We have a huge social media following. If we can do one thing here to help other people through that, I just feel like why not? We’re so lucky here. We’ve become very successful in the past five years. I feel very blessed and thankful. Whatever we can do to give back, I’m here for it. I feel like social media is so powerful these days. Having over 20K people looking at my Instagram, why not put anything I can out there to help?"

The diner is set to host a Luke's Lemonade Stand event from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday with proceeds benefitting the charity Alex's Lemonade stand. Alexandra "Alex" Scott, the founder and namesake of Alex's Lemonade, died of neuroblastoma in 2004 at the age of 8.

Alyson said every challenge made her family stronger and more connected, whether it was Luke's diagnosis or everything their diner went through with the coronavirus pandemic.

While there have been challenges, Alyson said a lot of great things have come from owning the restaurant.

"My favorite, personally, is meeting customers who I have become very close to over the past five years," she said. "The creativity part; I love being behind the Milkshakes of the Month, doing the social media, doing the new menus. That’s my whole thing. I definitely enjoy that. Sometimes it’s hard, but I always get that milkshake out one way or another."

Alyson said she wanted to thank everyone for the support over the past five years.

"Every time I meet somebody and Whiskey Down comes up, they have positive things to say. It’s nice to be recognized for the work that you put in here. I’m working six days a week for five years straight, and it’s not an easy business. We’re on our feet all day. We work weekends. I just want to say thank you for recognizing that, supporting us, supporting us on social media. We get so many great reviews on Facebook food groups. I see all that. We are a family. It’s just me, my dad, my brother, my sister. We’re very happy to be here and do what we do. Thank you from all of us."

Alyson said she looks forward to "many more years" in Farmingdale.

"I really am humbled and overwhelmed that it is five years, and I’m excited to celebrate it. I’m getting emotional talking about it, it’s crazy."

Whiskey Down Diner can be reached at 516-927-8264. The menu features breakfast all day, sandwiches, meals, seasonal menus, a milkshake that changes monthly, desserts, creative cocktails, and more.