Paterson's very last diner has closed for good

New Jersey is the diner capital of the world. The capital, however, has been taking a beating of late and, as of last week, lost one more diner.

Paterson's only remaining diner, 44-year-old Nicholas Diner, permanently closed its doors August 2. Its owners, Nicholas and Georgia Doukas, said that their advance age — he's 77; she 74 — was the reason for the closure.

"We just couldn't do it anymore," said Georgia, who with Nicholas immigrated from Patras, Greece, to the United States. "It's too hard."

Nicholas had worked at a number of diners, including Bridgewater Diner, before he decided to open his own on East Railway Avenue in 1979.

"We thought we'd stay here for five years and then sell it," Georgia said. "We ended up staying 44 years."

She added that their three daughters did not want "to bother" running the diner and that today there's little interest in diners in general. "It's hard work and not a lot of money," she said.

The closing is "sad," she continued. "Our customers are very sad, very upset. We are still upset. But we had no choice. We had to sell it."

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The couple sold it to next door neighbor Romi's Farm Products, a wholesaler of Middle East cheese and yogurt products. When asked what the company's plans were for the diner, an employee, who declined to give him name, said, "We don't know. It might be a diner, it might be demolished."

What is known is that the number of diners in New Jersey keeps dwindling. Michael C. Gabriele, a Clifton resident and author of “The History of Diners in New Jersey," estimates that in the past quarter century New Jersey has lost approximately 100 diners — from about 600 diners 25 years ago to 500 today.

"When you lose a diner, you lose generational memories," he said. "These are iconic structures; they are one of a kind. No one is building these things today."

Among the diners that have closed in the past few years, according to Gabriele: Empire Diner in Parsippany, Cherry Hill Diner in Cherry Hill, Marlton Diner in Marlton, Sage Diner in Mount Laurel, Mom’s Diner in Avenel/Woodbridge; Egg Platter in Paterson, Elgin Diner in Camden, Crossroads Diner in Belvedere, Royal Diner in Washington, Forum Diner in Paramus, Mastoris Diner in Bordentown, (the original) Olga’s Diner in Marlton.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Nicholas Diner in Paterson NJ closes for good after 44 years