Those of you who live or have traveled through the Pocono Mountains region of northeast Pennsylvania may be familiar with, or even visited, the Diner at Tannersville. It’s a typical chrome-fronted mid-20th century diner, the kind at which we motorcyclists stop for the fortifying “meat and three” to fuel us for the miles ahead.
Sadly, the once-popular diner closed last year, and Jim and Linda Schlier, the owners of the land upon which it sits, need to clear the property to make room for the new Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson dealership they are building in the spring of 2017. Their current dealership eight miles south in Stroudsburg has been thriving and now plans are in place to move and expand it to the Tannersville property.
Jim bought the property back in the 1970s for his towing business, and some years later, leased part of the land to the owners of the diner. The diner, manufactured in the 60’s and featuring the traditional chrome façade, was originally located in Elizabeth, New Jersey, until the owners moved it to Tannersville in the 80’s on the land leased from the Schliers.
The diner was recently listed for $30,000, but there were no takers. Now, the Schliers are willing to give it away to anyone who can tow it, and everything inside, off the property. The diner had been moved a piece at a time to its present location by the previous owners, so it stands to reason that this feat could be repeated.
If no one removes the diner from the property, it may have to be demolished to make way for the new dealership. Jim laments, “It’s a piece of history. And we’re hoping that we can all go to have lunch somewhere, someday. Same building, different location.” So you old-time diner lovers out there, let’s not let one more piece of Roadside Americana disappear. Wherever it shows up again, we’ll stop by for lunch. We promise.
