June 17, Mannino’s owners Lidia Maceo and Marco Altamirano purchased Mel’s Diner from previous owner Robert Keller.
Since then, the married couple have been adjusting to running the diner.
The pair said that, for now, the menu, hours, and employees will remain the same, although Maceo said the couple hopes eventually to expand the diner’s hours to include dinner (and create a dinner menu), but they see that happening in a year or two.
The couple is getting adjusted to running the business, with Altamirano working in the kitchen and Maceo out front. After they took over, Maceo said, Keller would stop in to help with the transition, which she said they greatly appreciated.
Before Altamirano purchased Mannino’s in 2021 after 13 years of working there, his dream was to buy Mel’s Diner, he explained. When Keller announced that he planned to retire and was putting the diner up for sale, the couple was quick to make an offer. The real estate changed hands earlier this month for $595,000.
While the diner was shown to multiple prospective buyers, Keller said, Maceo and Altamirano were his top pick. He had known them for years, as he would often visit Mannino’s after the diner closed for the day.
“They remind me of me 20 years ago,” Keller said, describing the couple as hardworking, family-oriented, and kind to customers.
Maceo and Altamirano said their experience with the diner has been positive so far, though it has been a challenge adjusting to a different type of restaurant. Maceo said she loves the employees and the customers, and Altamirano has enjoyed learning the recipes.
“He say that he loves it so far, everything is different than what we used to do at Manino’s,” said Maceo, translating for Altamirano. “We love to cook, and that’s why we are here.”
Mel’s Diner, located at 8 East Cumberland St., is open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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