Kerrie Joyce + Carli Clesmere 
New Jersey and diners are a classic match: a longtime pairing where it’s hard to imagine one without the other. Many classic NJ diners have closed in recent years, yet one New Jersey couple has dedicated themselves to visiting — and eating at — each of New Jersey’s ~400 remaining diners. Karri and Jon Ricklin of Bergen County have become unofficial ambassadors of NJ’s diner culture. Read on for more about the changes to New Jersey’s diner landscape, and about Karri and Jon Ricklin, eating their way through the diner scene.
History + Evolution of the Diner
One aspect of Jersey culture that we can’t get enough of is New Jersey’s iconic diners. Earning titles such as “the spiritual home of the diner” and “diner capital of the world,” it would be natural to assume the greasy, nostalgic establishments were invented in New Jersey, and you would almost be right. While the origins of the diner can be traced back to Rhode Island in the late 1800s, New Jersey became home to one-third of America’s factories manufacturing “prefabricated” diners beginning in the 1920s. By the 1940s and 50s, NJ diners had solidified roots in communities, particularly the Greek community which remains at the forefront of diner culture. Common traits of the iconic restaurants include metal elements, drawing influences from railroad dining cars and the later automobiles of the 1950s. Gemstone-colored, vinyl upholstered benches and sturdy mugs — the establishments offer us a time capsule into a past version of American consumerism, usually adorned with artwork paying homage to people and brands like Marilyn Monroe and Coca-Cola.
Primarily serving lengthy menus of breakfast foods, burgers, coffee, milkshakes, and classic soft drinks, the restaurants found a niche in the metropolitan Northeast. Some canonically stay open 24 hours, seven days a week, functioning as the setting for cross-country travelers’ pit-stops and theater kid gossip sessions — often witnessing the sight of twenty-somethings ending their night of partying crossing paths with folks stopping for a breakfast sandwich and coffee on their way to work. A few of New Jersey’s most cherished diners have even been the backdrop of scenes from The Sopranos and recent movies like A Complete Unknown, and even they are not immune to the crisis of NJ’s dwindling diner count.
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Recent Closures
While the most recent estimate of the total number of diners in the state stands at a whopping 600, which is more per capita than any other state, they have been on a steady decline, with around 150 closing their doors in the last 10 years. Some of the diners that have had to shut down in recent years include well-loved, even famous spots. With steady, loyal customer bases and many of the restaurants receiving accolades from the likes of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, what is behind the struggle to keep their doors open?
White Mana of Jersey City, located at 470 Tonnelle Avenue, earned the status of Historic Landmark to eternally preserve the iconic ‘prefab’ design, according to owner Mario Costa. Mario shared the history of the diner, which dates back to 1939, while his history with the diner began when he first worked there as a high school student in 1972.
While White Mana remains open with thriving business, Mario did share one change that began early on in the pandemic that most diners have yet to recover from. “I used to be open 24 hours, and after COVID for some reason most of the diners, even Tick Tock in Clifton, that used to be open 24 hours and now they’re not.” Mario said, attributing the reduction in hours and possible closures of other diners to decreased foot traffic during the late-night hours. Mario noted that the White Mana can not be torn down due to its landmark status, but said that other diner owners may opt to accept offers to buy the land, which would most likely amount to a larger sum than what they make as a business.
This was likely the case for the iconic, now closed Malibu Diner of Hoboken. Malibu Diner had hopes of reopening after it announced a temporary closure back in 2019 for redevelopment plans to build a multi-use building, with residential units above a commercial space which would house the diner. After the announcement, Hobokenites panicked and HG has been keeping track of new developments in the story ever since. The Babalis family told The Hoboken Girl in 2021 that they agreed to the plans in order to bring the diner (built in 1941 and renovated in the 1980s) up to code, but in September 2024 the ground floor commercial space was listed “For Lease.” At an October 20th Planning Board meeting, the City approved an application from One Medical to open in the space located at 251 14th Street.
One of the state’s other beloved diners, Bendix Diner, served as a filming location for iconic NJ movies including Jersey Girl, Boys On The Side, The Many Saints of Newark, and of course its own documentary short film Bendix: Sight Unseen. Bendix was formerly located at 464 NJ-17 in Hasbrouck Heights and has yet to accomplish its goal of reopening after its closure in January 2025 due to a health code violation related to its fire suppression system. As of April 2025, the 77-year-old legacy restaurant was listed for sale.
Early last year, Starview Diner of Somerdale, NJ, also announced it was closing its doors and welcoming its new owners, a small NJ franchise, Amy’s Omelette House, into its 9 South White Horse Pike location. Starview’s owner, Stefanos Kitrinos, concluded the diner’s 25-year run with a handwritten note announcing his decision to retire.
Keeping New Jersey’s Diner Spirit Alive
For many New Jerseyans, diners embody more than just a dining experience; they represent the essence of the state. There’s something about the chrome counters, the swivel stools, and the waitresses who call everyone “hun” that feels timeless. And while some of these beloved landmarks have shuttered over the years, the spirit of the Jersey diner lives on through locals like Karri and Jon Ricklin of Bergen County. Karri, a nurse, and Jon, a small business owner, have shared a life full of love + plenty of pancakes for more than 41 years. Their diner story began in 2015 at the Livingston Diner, when Jon smiled behind a menu for a quick photo. What started as a playful snapshot soon turned into something much more meaningful.
A few years later, during a road trip, that memory resurfaced. The two decided to visit every diner in New Jersey and recreate that same photo at each stop. One snapshot became ten, then 50, and now, nearly seven years later, the Ricklins are closing in on their 300th diner visit. What began as a humorous tradition evolved into an online phenomenon when their daughter decided to share their story on social media. It did not take long for the Ricklins’ TikToks and posts to gain attention for their charm, humor, and authenticity, proof that diner culture is as loved as ever (for us New Jerseyans, of course).
When our team’s own diner enthusiast, Carli, sat down with the couple, the conversation naturally turned to Bergen County classics like Stateline Diner in Ramsey, Dumont Crystal in Dumont, and The Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst. For Jon and Karri, what defines a true New Jersey diner goes beyond the food. It’s about the feeling: the swivel chairs, the booths filled with chatter, the comfort of breakfast being served all day, and that unmistakable warmth that hits you the second you walk in.
When talk turned to menu favorites, Karri and Carli shared that their go-to orders were similar: omelets and hearty salads. Jon, on the other hand, goes for what he calls “diner core” — burgers, wraps, and breakfast plates stacked high with comfort.
As the couple continues their cross-state diner crawl, they’ve come to represent more than just a fun hobby; they’ve become a reminder of what makes New Jersey feel like home. Each photo, each plate, and each friendly “hun” is part of a larger love letter to the state’s culture + community. When asked about creating their own dream diner, Jon and Karri didn’t hesitate. They picture a factory-built, stainless-steel classic, decked out with glowing neon signs, a dessert case full of homemade pies, and that familiar buzz of conversation. For the name? They’d split the state in two: The Taylor Hamlet Diner in the north and The Pork Roll Palace Diner in the south—because in true Jersey fashion, you can never agree on just one.
Before we wrapped up our chat (and yes, everyone was officially starving by then), Carli asked the Ricklins what advice they’d give to someone planning their own New Jersey diner crawl. Their tips were simple:
- Go hungry.
- Be a leftover person.
- Turn each visit into a little trip and explore what else you can discover nearby in local NJ towns.
Ultimately, diners have always been about connection, comfort, and community. Thanks to the Ricklins, that tradition continues one menu photo at a time.
See More: These Spots are Why Jersey is the Diner Capital of the World
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