IHOP no longer planned to replace Korner Diner

The Korner Diner has sat vacant for nearly a year, its prominent aluminum exterior a glaring reminder of the lack of progress made in re-opening the once popular hangout. 

However, the diner may be open for business again soon, said Angela Tsionas, property spokeswoman for Tsionas Properties, the company who owns the building.

"We're hoping that maybe by the end of 2009 we will have a tenant in place and maybe even be open for business before the end of the year," Tsionas said. "At the moment we're still renovating the diner. We do have a couple people who are interested but we do not have anything final."

Earlier in the year, it appeared as if an International House of Pancakes [IHOP] franchise would be moving in to the space formerly occupied by the Korner Diner, but the deal did not go through.

Steve Himmelfarb, a real estate agent and president of Himmelfarb Commercial and a university alumni, was working with the IHOP franchise to lease the location from Tsionas Properties.

He said despite the setback with Tsionas Properties, he is still working to bring an IHOP location to Main Street.

"We're committed to come and we're going to find an even better location than that," Himmelfarb said. "It's our hope to be on Main Street and open by September 2010."

As for the Korner Diner, Tsionas would not disclose any specific details about the potential new tenants, but did say there are currently two possibilities for the diner.

Both of the candidates to move in to the location are local owners and not a part of a  national chain like IHOP.

"They're smaller establishments," she said. "We are trying to keep it the same diner-style food. One is just kind of a diner style, the other one may have, to a certain extent. some kind of diner style, but it's going to be more of a lunch menu."

In the meantime, university students are anxious to learn what will become of the diner.

Junior Lauren Rudolph said she has been keeping an eye on the spot.

"There used to be people there at all hours of the day and night," Rudolph said. "Now it's just quiet, and I'm not quite sure what's going in there. We're all curious."

She said she is hoping the diner re-opens in a similar small-town fashion.

"I don't want them to put something commercial in," Rudolph said. "I feel like it's part of Newark and they need to keep its history."

Senior Bill Sieber echoed similar sentiments.

He said he loved the Korner Diner's breakfast specials and often ate there after his morning workout.

"It's one of those things that is inter-generational and it's a shame to see it go to the wayside," Sieber said.

He said his preference would be to have the Korner Diner back, but he will still visit the new establishment as long as it is similar to the Korner Diner.

"As long as it's a diner type thing, I'd probably still go," Sieber said.

Junior Margie Ryan said she is still upsetthe Korner Diner closed.

"I think that the diner was a huge part of Newark because it was there for so long," Ryan said. "It was a place where everyone went, whether it was working on their paper at four in the morning or just grabbing some food. It had a really good social atmosphere."