Diner: Difference between revisions

Considered quintessentially American,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-09-05|title=The History of the American Diner|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/food/the-history-of-the-american-diner/|access-date=2021-11-30|website=pastemagazine.com|language=en}}</ref> many diners share an archetypal exterior form. Some of the earliest were converted rail cars[[dining car]]s, retaining their streamlined structure and interior fittings. From the 1920s to the 1940s, diners, by then commonly known as "lunch cars", were usually [[prefabrication|prefabricated]] in factories, like modern [[mobile home]]s, and delivered on site with only the utilities needing to be connected. As a result, many early diners were typically small and narrow to fit onto a rail car or truck. This small footprint also allowed them to be fitted into tiny and relatively inexpensive lots that otherwise were unable to support a larger enterprise. Diners were historically small businesses operated by the owner, with some presence of restaurant chains evolving over time.