Delays again in El Diner opening

Hungry Penn students looking for somewhere to eat at four in the morning are going to have to wait a little longer. The launch of El Diner -- the 24-hour cafe set to open at 39th and Walnut streets in the space formerly occupied by Eat at Joe's -- has now been delayed until January 29. The diner was supposed to open yesterday, but a delay in the arrival of countertops caused the holdup, according to Gary Farmer. Farmer manages the restaurant division of Goldman Properties, which is bringing El Diner to campus. "We really tried to get it ready by the 15th, but it just couldn't be done," Farmer said. "I hope the students will be patient while we put the finishing touches on." El Diner will feature a bar along with regular sit-down tables, although manager Clark Gilbert has not yet obtained a liquor license. Gilbert said he expects the license will arrive soon. The bar, which will seat about 17 people, will be situated in the main room. It will serve typical bar fare, such as draft beer. In the mornings, when the demand for alcohol is smaller, the bar will be used as a breakfast counter. While Gilbert hopes that the bar will bring in about 30 percent of the diner's business, he does not plan to compete with nearby bars such as Cavanaugh's and Smokey Joe's. "First and foremost, we're a restaurant," he said. "The liquor license rounds us out." Area bars do not seem too disturbed by the introduction of another neighborhood establishment serving alcohol. "There's always competition if it's right around the corner," said Joe Whepley, night manager at Smoke's. "But I think it'll actually help the business. If there are more people around, then they can go from place to place. I would say that it will add to the whole environment." Students seem pleased with the addition of a bar to the new diner. "If it's cheap enough, I might go there often," College senior Roy Rajan said. College sophomore Tara Schwarz agreed. "There is definitely a need for new places," she said. "I'm sure it will be very highly accepted." Donna Summers, historic preservation director at Goldman Properties, believes that El Diner will be a welcome addition to the campus. Summers said that the diner will give Penn students the option of freshly-made food in a comfortable, casual environment. "It'll be a nice, inexpensive place to hang out with your friends," she said. "I think its going to go over very well." The University brought El Diner to campus in response to student requests for an inexpensive, late-night eatery close to campus. A survey conducted by the Undergraduate Assembly in 1996 showed that 97 percent of Penn students wanted a diner nearby. The University responded with the '50s-themed diner Eat at Joe's in 1998, but its high prices and short hours drew complaints from students. Eat at Joe's closed its doors last July to make way for El Diner.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.