Metro Diner plans given council’s OK

ROYAL PALM BEACH — Plans to bring a popular diner chain to the western communities took a step forward Thursday night as the village council unanimously approved the site plan and architecture for the building that will house a Metro Diner.

The 6,800-square-foot building will sit on the south side of the Southern Palm Crossing Shopping Center, which also includes Costco, Panera Bread, HomeGoods, Marshalls and Bru’s Room. In addition to the Metro Diner, the building will have space for a new Pacific Dental office, Royal Palm Beach Planning and Zoning Director Bradford O’Brien said.

The previous site plan for the plaza allowed a 7,250-square-foot building with 514 square feet of outdoor seating, which currently is a grassy parcel southwest of Carrabba’s Italian Grill. The plans approved Thursday night increase the outdoor seating area to 688 square feet.

The Palm Beach Post was first to report in December that Metro Diner hopes to open in Royal Palm Beach in early 2019. According to the restaurant’s website, it was founded in Jacksonville and serves home-cooked meals with locally sourced ingredients.

The chain has built a cultlike following. In 2010, Metro Diner was featured on the Food Network TV series “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Before heading to the council, the village’s Planning and Zoning Board recommended approving the application on a 4-0 vote.

The Royal Palm Beach location would be the second in Palm Beach County. The first Metro Diner is set to open next month in West Palm Beach off Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard near the Palm Beach Outlets.