What makes a diner a diner? Well, if you want to know the answer, and everything else there is to know about America’s most iconic kind of restaurant, there is one man to call, and really one man only. And that’s why nearly 40 years ago, our founders dialed up Richard Gutman, the Boston-based architect, best-selling author, and bona fide diner historian who has become known as the “Diner Man,” over his decades-long career, which included helping us launch the very first Silver Diner.

In the middle of winter, Chef Ype Von Hengst is dreaming about warmer weather. That’s when spring menu development begins at Silver Diner, all in hopes of finding a few new stand-out dishes to add to the regular rotation, and help the restaurant remain committed to constantly evolving for the next generation.

When owners Bob Giaimo and Ype Von Hengst wanted to open a restaurant, they went on a road trip. But not just any old road trip. Instead, in the 1980s, they took planes, trains, and automobiles to visit 500 diners across the United States to understand just what makes this kind of iconic dining establishment so special.