Metro Diner East Brunswick: Opening Hours

Metro Diner, a restaurant known for its large portions, opened its first New Jersey location in East Brunswick in March 2019. The diner, located at 269 Route 18 and Lake Avenue, served breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day and was open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Unfortunately, the East Brunswick location closed in March 2020, less than a year after opening, due to financial reasons.

Metro Diner's first NJ location

Metro Diner, a restaurant chain known for its large portions of comfort food, opened its first New Jersey location in East Brunswick in March 2019. The diner is located at 269 Route 18 South and Lake Avenue.

The opening of the East Brunswick location marked Metro Diner's first expansion into New Jersey, a state known for its diners. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, the company has nearly 70 restaurants in 14 states across the country, with 29 locations in Florida alone. The company has since expanded to Georgia, Delaware, and North Carolina.

The 4,500-square-foot diner in East Brunswick has seating for 150 guests and is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. The menu features all-day breakfast options, along with lunch and dinner dishes, with most items priced under $15. The diner serves classic comfort foods like chicken and waffles and modern twists like strawberry cheesecake-stuffed waffles.

The restaurant held a grand opening/ribbon-cutting ceremony on the day of its opening and hosted pre-opening charity events on March 9 and 10 to benefit two organisations: Elks Camp Moore, a camp for children with special needs, and Rebuilding Warriors, which provides service dogs to veterans.

Metro Diner has received recognition for its hospitality and hometown appeal, featuring an open kitchen and stools at the counter where guests can interact with the cooks. The restaurant prides itself on making guests feel at home and ensuring they have a great experience.

However, despite the initial excitement, the East Brunswick location closed in March 2020, just a year after its opening, due to financial reasons. The company cited that the decision was unfortunate but necessary, and they offered team members the opportunity to transfer to other locations.

Opening hours

The Metro Diner in East Brunswick, New Jersey, opened its doors in March 2019. It was the first Metro Diner location in the state of New Jersey, with the company announcing plans to open more locations across the United States.

The East Brunswick Metro Diner is located at 269 Route 18 South and Lake Avenue. It is a 4,500-square-foot space with seating for 150 guests. The diner features an open kitchen, a counter with stools, and a warm and inviting atmosphere. It is known for its large portions of traditional diner food, served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu includes classic comfort foods, such as chicken and waffles, as well as modern twists like strawberry cheesecake-stuffed waffles. Most dishes are priced under $15.

The opening hours of the Metro Diner in East Brunswick, New Jersey, are as follows:

• Monday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Tuesday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Wednesday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Thursday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Friday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Sunday: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Unfortunately, the Metro Diner in East Brunswick permanently closed its doors in March 2020, less than a year after opening, due to financial reasons. The closest location to East Brunswick is in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

Diner's portions and menu

Metro Diner in East Brunswick, New Jersey, was known for its large portions and traditional diner food. The restaurant served breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day, with most dishes priced under $15.

The menu included comfort food classics like chicken and waffles and monte cristo sandwiches, as well as modern twists such as pulled pork mac stack and strawberry cheesecake-stuffed waffles. There was also a kids' menu and gluten-friendly options.

The diner featured an open kitchen and stools at the counter, where guests could sit, watch, and interact with the cooks. The 4,500-square-foot space had seating for 150 guests and was open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

Unfortunately, the Metro Diner in East Brunswick closed in March 2020 after nearly a year in business. The closure was due to financial reasons, according to joint partner Jeff Schifrin.

Charity events

The Metro Diner in East Brunswick, New Jersey, opened on March 12, 2019, at 269 Route 18. Before its grand opening, the diner held charity events on March 9 and 10. All donations from the fundraisers went to two organisations: Elks Camp Moore and Rebuilding Warriors.

Elks Camp Moore is a sleep-away camp for children with special needs. The camp offers a fun-filled vacation for its young guests, with the goal of helping them develop their recreational and social skills. Rebuilding Warriors is an organisation that provides veterans with service or companion dogs. The group specifically aims to help veterans who have been diagnosed as amputees, as well as those with PTSD and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).

The Metro Diner charity events required reservations, which could be made for either the morning or afternoon sessions. Guests who provided a donation got to enjoy a sneak peek of the new diner and sample some of the restaurant's offerings.

The Metro Diner in East Brunswick has since closed, with a joint partner in the business citing financial reasons for the closure.

Diner's closure

Diners' Closures

Diners are closing for a variety of reasons, from owners retiring to spend more time with family, to rising costs, changing consumer habits, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The restaurant industry is notoriously difficult to succeed in, and even restaurants featured on popular TV shows like "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" have closed down. Inflation and rising costs of ingredients and supplies, as well as labour costs, are significant factors in the closure of restaurants. The National Restaurant Association reports that 85% of operators say their restaurant is less profitable now than it was before the pandemic in 2019.

In addition, enticing offers from developers and rising rents are also contributing to the closure of diners, especially in areas that were previously thought to be safe from redevelopment. The disappearance of diner culture has been predicted for years, and while it still persists, the changing landscape of cities and towns is making it harder for these establishments to remain open.

Owners of diners that have closed often cite a variety of issues, including the "state of the world," and the impact of the pandemic on people's eating habits, as reasons for their closure. The shift in consumer behaviour, with more people ordering takeout or cooking at home, has also contributed to the decline in diner patronage.

In the case of long-standing diners, owners often choose to retire and spend time with family, or pursue new adventures. For example, the owner of Laura's Family Restaurant in Poughkeepsie moved on to new adventures, while the siblings who took over their parents' restaurant, Tony Boffa's, decided to sell and close the restaurant to spend more time with their families.

The rise of residential and mixed-use development projects is also contributing to the closure of diners, as developers buy up smaller and more unusual lots to assemble land for these projects. The lucrative land and development rights above single-story buildings, which many diners occupy, make these establishments attractive targets for developers.

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