We’ve got a 50th anniversary taking place in our town! According to our records, The Millburn Restaurant & Diner opened in December, 1970, and has been a fixture on the corner of Essex Street and Lackawanna Place ever since. Originally a service station, the property was purchased and renovated by Peter Felix, a man known affectionately as “The King of Diners”, and the business was sold to the Thermenos family, which ran the Diner for over 30 years.
From the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society Collection
Throughout the 1970’s, the Millburn Restaurant & Diner became well known for its convenient location to the train station, its after-midnight hours, and most importantly, its food. Early advertisements for the Diner called out the special children’s menu and the “Businessmen’s Lunch”. The Diner later became noted for its authentic Greek fare, taking the unique step of having separate menus for Greek food and continental food. In 1977, the Millburn Diner was praised in the Morris County Daily Record for being “one of the few Greek diners true to its heritage”.
In 2001, the Thermenos family sold the Diner to Litza and Michael Pagonas, who still own the restaurant today, having completed a major interior renovation in 2006. Today, the Millburn Diner is not only a destination for the local community, but also for surrounding towns throughout north and central New Jersey. In addition to abundant breakfasts, a full range of sandwiches, wraps, and pastas, the Diner is known for its Greek specialties, its comfort food, and its late-night fare. As owner Litza Pagonas said in an interview with the Bridgewater Courier News, “No matter the hour, we cater to everyone…we want everyone to leave happy.”
This postcard, available in the new Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society Archive (check it out if you haven’t already!), appears to be from 1974-1975, and mentions the diner’s proximity to the Paper Mill Playhouse, as well as its famous cheesecake, which is baked on premises.
Happy happy anniversary to one of our favorite places in town!