Silver Diner Raises $20K In Auction Of Items From Clarendon Location

ARLINGTON, VA — When Silver Diner moved to its new location in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood, the restaurant decided to hold an auction for some of the nostalgic items from its old location in Clarendon.

That auction, held in December, raised $20,326 for Real Food for Kids, a group that feeds children and families experiencing food insecurity in the Washington, D.C., area, Silver Diner said Thursday.

The most popular items in the auction were the table-top jukebox, which was sold for $1,800 and a “Time to Dine” clock that went for $1,900. The clock was in a bidding war that ran right up until the close of the auction. One auction participant bought five items in all, including a clock, a diner table and other signage.

“The bidder wanted to recreate a mini Silver Diner in their home,” Matilde Ott, Silver Diner’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement Thursday.

The bidder who won the jukebox is having a custom booth made in his kitchen. He and his wife are in their 70s and are regular Silver Diner customers, according to Silver Diner.

READ ALSO: Silver Diner Ballston Holds Raffle, Auctions Memorabilia For Nonprofit

When Silver Diner’s Clarendon landlord decided to redevelop the site, the restaurant was forced to move to another location. The restaurant then found the location nearby in Ballston at 4400 Wilson Blvd.

Since the Clarendon location will be torn down, Silver Diner decided to donate some of the items from the old location for the auction.

Real Food for Kids was founded by parents of school children in Fairfax County schools who wanted to improve school lunches. Since that time, the organization worked with Fairfax County on implementing salad bars and now works with schools throughout the entire D.C. region.

In addition to moving to Ballston, Silver Diner just opened its first location in D.C.: a brand-new concept, Silver Social close to Nationals Park. Silver Diner also plans to open restaurants in Chantilly and at National Harbor in Maryland in 2023 and in White Marsh, Maryland and Fredericksburg in 2024.

Silver Diner’s Ballston location is open from 7 a.m. daily and closes at midnight from Sunday through Wednesday, 1 a.m. on Thursday and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.