Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Iconic diner reopens after $1.7M upgrade
Owner invests $1.7M to renovate Pottstown Diner
POTTSTOWN » With an updated exterior and a sleek, modern and totally refurbished interior — the Pottstown Metro 100 Diner has reopened. The iconic restaurant, at the corner of King Street and Route 100 North, opened for business Monday, in what was the former Pottstown Diner.
The opening follows two years and nearly $1.7 million in renovations by owner Mark Klein, who bought the diner in May 2017. At the time, Klein told MediaNews Group the diner was a “sleeper that needs to be woken up again.” He said Pottstown is a great area, with shopping, recreation and efforts to revitalize the borough.
“We worked so hard to make this beautiful and to wake it up. This has been a labor of love,” said Andriana Kapetanakis, front of the house manager at the new Pottstown Metro 100 Diner. Kapetanakis has worked for Klein since 2012 and lives in Pottstown. She added that she has watched Pottstown “blossom” over the last couple of years.
“We are so excited about being here and doing this and being an active part of the reboot of Pottstown,” she said.
Kapetanakis said Monday’s opening day went very well, and the restaurant saw a steady business.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better soft opening. The staff is working really well together, helping each other and working as a team and a single unit,” she added.
The Pottstown Metro 100 Diner has a staff of about 50, according to Kapetanakis, the majority of which live in Pottstown and the surrounding area.
The restaurant, which seats about 200, is open 7 days a week from 5 a.m. to midnight.
Just about everything about the diner has been redone.
Obvious as soon as customers drive onto the property at 99 W. King St. is the look of the exterior. The building has been painted and features a colorful trim, larger windows, as well as a newly designed and constructed entry façade.
Inside, they are greeted with a color scheme that features a warm mixture of reds, blues, yellows and browns.
Kapetanakis added that the ceiling light fixtures are bold, and “unlike anything seen in this area.”
“The diner is beautiful and we’re so excited to unveil it to the public,” she said.
The main dining room, according to Kapetanakis, was taken “pretty much down to the studs” before being rebuilt. New windows, flooring, tile, paint, lighting and seating were added, as well as a server’s station and a counter with seating for dining.
The green room — a previous addition to the restaurant — was also completely. Etched glass windows that separate the two rooms remain — original to the previous diner.
Decorating the walls are some
patriotic and historic photos from Pottstown’s past, purchased by Klein, and which Kapetanakis said may be a “little walk down memory lane” for some customers.
“I am most excited about a piece in the hallway, of a Pottstown baseball team. I’m certain when someone walks by they will recognize someone in the photo,” she added.
The menu features traditional Americana fare, according to Kapetanakis, including classics like croquettes, turkey, chicken, meatloaf and freshly made sauces. Breakfast is served all day and the bread is fresh baked, she said. The kitchen is managed by Diego Gonzalez and was also completely redone.
The diner closed in September 2017 as renovations got underway. As many business and homeowners know, renovations sometimes take longer than planned and cost more than anticipated. Klein initially planned to invest about $1 million in renovations, only to see that number increase as the work continued.
Klein worked with DeRaffele Manufacturing Co. Inc. of New Rochelle, N.Y., and Carbone Associates on the structure and design for the updated restaurant, according to Kapetanakis. DeRaffelle Manufacturing specializes in building diners, and is a company Klein has worked with in the past.
Klein is a 1994 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. With his family he has opened and operated several diners in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
For more information about the Pottstown Metro 100 Diner visit https:// www.facebook.com/Metro100Diner.
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