WASHINGTON — American City Diner, which served up all-day breakfasts and a kitschy atmosphere in D.C.’s Chevy Chase neighborhood for 30 years, has closed its doors.
The diner announced the sudden closure on its Facebook page over the weekend.
“It’s been a privilege serving you but the time has come for the American City Diner to close its doors,” the restaurant said in the post. “We will forever be grateful to Jeffrey Gildenhorn for bringing this beloved institution to Connecticut Ave.”
Gildenhorn, who opened the diner in the late 1980s, died last summer at age 74 after choking on his food at another D.C. restaurant.
The greasy spoon was well known for its classic diner fare, which included fried egg sandwiches, meatloaf dinners, milkshakes and pie, and generous stacks of silver-dollar pancakes. Old-time touches included its Art Deco-style marquee, a model train that wended its way around the diner’s ceiling and its showing of classic movies.
Steve Salis, the entrepreneur behind &pizza, bought the space, a spokeswoman confirmed to WTOP, but she did not provide any other details about future plans for the site. Salis also owns Kramerbooks and Ted’s Bulletin,
Washington Business Journal first reported the sale.
WTOP’s Rachel Nania contributed to this report.
