Dave’s Diner Closing After 34 Years In Central New York

For more than three decades, Dave’s Diner has been a staple for Mohawk Valley residents. It's been the place where families, friends, and classic cars have gathered to eat, laugh, and create memories. Now, after 34 years, Dave's Diner is closing its doors.

A Local Icon Since 1989

Owner Dave Paratore announced the news on Facebook on August 7th telling followers the diner would shut down September 1st. The post drew an outpouring of emotion: over 200 comments and nearly 700 shares, filled with well wishes, memories, and congratulations on his retirement.

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According to the Daily Sentinel, Dave’s Diner first opened January 13th 1989. When it first opened, it was a modest 40-seat room. Over the years, it expanded to three dining rooms, more than 100 seats, and even a separate ice cream window. The diner’s Tuesday cruise-ins, which have run for 25 years from May through September, became a Central New York summer tradition. Winners of the inaugural People’s Choice trophy bring it back each year, a tradition that has endured over decades.

Paratore grew up at the Glen Motel, which his parents owned, and later purchased it himself. In 1988, he bought adjoining land with plans to expand. His brother Frank, a CPA, needed an office, so together they built a new building. With almost no restaurant experience, Dave hired a former Army mess sergeant from Utica to help launch the diner.

“He insulted me the day I met him, and I hired him,” Paratore recalled. “I figured he knew what he was doing.”

In the early days, Dave worked seven days a week, slowly building his staff and his family’s future. He was able to buy a home and put two children through school. When his wife, Joanne, was diagnosed with cancer, he began donating 50/50 proceeds from the cruise-ins to the Joseph Michael Chubbuck Foundation, raising more than $10,000. Joanne, a retired Westmoreland schoolteacher, their two children, a doctor and a registered nurse, have no plans to continue the diner.

Dave’s Retirement and Property Sale

The diner’s 2,600-square-foot space, part of a 13-acre property that also houses a barber shop and an environmental company, is for sale. Its contents will be auctioned September 15th closing a chapter on one of the Mohawk Valley’s most cherished community spots.