Road Island Diner: Difference between revisions

The '''Road Island Diner''' is a rare classic 60' x 16' [[Art Deco]] [[diner]] car [[restaurant]] located in the remote mountain city of [[Oakley, Utah]] in the [[United States]]. It was prefabricated as diner #1107 in 1939 at the [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]] factory of the Jerry O'Mahony Co. After construction, it was displayed on exhibition at the [[1939 World's Fair]] in New York.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Francis |title=Retro diner a big hit in Oakley |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_/ai_n27961451 |publisher=''[[Deseret News]] |date=July 29, 2008 |accessdate=2008-12-20}}</ref> After the Fair, It was sold to Al McDermott who had it towed it to [[Fall River, Massachusetts]] where it operated for 14 years. In 1953, it was sold to Greek immigrant Tommy Borodemos, who had it transported down the turnpike to [[Middletown, Rhode Island]], where it was known as Tommy's Deluxe Diner.<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Salit |title=After 53 years here, diner heads to Utah |url=http://www.projo.com/news/content/EB_MIDDDINER10_07-10-07_356AL3S.34c5ce6.html |publisher=''[[The Providence Journal]]'' |date=July 10, 2007 |accessdate=2008-12-20}}</ref> It closed its doors in May 2006 and was purchased in 2007 by Utah businessman, Keith Walker, who transported it to [[Oakley, Utah]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Mary |last=Brown Malouf |title=Neon in the mountains: Road Island Diner |url=http://www.saltlakemagazine.com/Salt-Lake-Magazine/October-2008/Neon-in-the-mountains-/ |publisher=''Salt Lake Magazine'' |date=October 2008 |accessdate=2008-12-20}}</ref> After a year of restoration, it was opened in July 2008. It is the only pre-war, [[Art-deco]] streamline (constructed to mimic a rail dining car) diner west of the [[Mississippi River]].{{cn}} Claimed to have been the "Cadillac" of diner companies because of its steel construction, The Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company of [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]] whose motto was "In our line, We lead the world" was said to have produced 2,000 diners from 1917 to 1941 with only three pre-war Art-Deco streamline style diners to still be in operation. The smalller [[ Mickey's Diner ]] in Saint Paul, Minnesota which is the first diner to be listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and Collin's Diner in Canaan, Ct.