There is a small glimmer of hope that the former Shawmut Diner in New Bedford may rise from the ashes like a phoenix and once again serve hungry customers.
The famed restaurant closed in 2014 after 51 years in business on Shawmut Avenue in Hathaway Road. Owners Phil and Celeste Paleologos donated it to the Bristol County Jail and Reformatory as a training facility for inmate rehabilitation.
The owner of Al Mac’s Diner in Fall River looks at the old Shawmut Diner
Eight years later, the Paleologos’ dream has yet to come true due to lack of funding and presumably a lack of interest from the Massachusetts Department of Correction.
In response to a recent article by WBSM updating the status of the Shawmut Diner project, Fall River businessman and realtor Cliff Ponte said, “I would love to buy this and bring it back to life. , just like I did with Al Mac dinner.”
The owner of Al Mac’s Diner in Fall River looks at the old Shawmut Diner
Ponte, a former Fall River councilman and mayoral candidate, purchased and restored the historic Al Mac’s Diner on President Avenue in May 2019. Ponte said the restaurant “is one of the very few stainless steel restaurants left in Massachusetts”.
The Shawmut Diner was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
The owner of Al Mac’s Diner in Fall River looks at the old Shawmut Diner
“There are no words to express the uniqueness of leading and operating a piece of history,” Ponte told me. “Owning and operating a historic restaurant, and having our customers recognize and appreciate our hard work is rewarding. This restaurant offers the same unique opportunity.”
“The real appeal here would be to resurrect history and give back to a local community by providing employment opportunities,” he said.
The owner of Al Mac’s Diner in Fall River looks at the old Shawmut Diner
Ponte said he would offer to buy the restaurant “100% if I could find the land to set it up”.
“I would bring it to any city that would work with us to make this happen,” he said. “My goal would be to replicate the same community restaurant in my hometown that it once was.”
Ponte said “the potential is endless”, and that includes a “breakfast and lunch dinner” which “could also be a drive-thru”.
The owner of Al Mac’s Diner in Fall River looks at the old Shawmut Diner
He said he “would also welcome the opportunity to work with the sheriff’s office to get inmates to help restore the restaurant.”
As for keeping the Shawmut Diner name, Ponte said he would keep things as original as possible.
“It would definitely be something I would consider,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to take away much, if anything, from the historical components.”
Ponte said restoring the Shawmut Diner “would be an investment worth looking into for sure”.
Vintage Food tickets for sale at Warwick’s Rocky Point Park
As much as everyone loved visiting Rocky Point Park in Warwick, Rhode Island for its fun rides and entertainment, the food was also a major draw. From clam cakes and Manhattan clam chowder to full dinners ashore with steamed lobsters, you can always close your eyes and smell the deliciousness. We checked some eBay ticket auctions for past snacks to remember Rocky Point menu items.
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