The West Side Diner
1380 Westminster St, Providence, RI 02909. (401)-490-0644 Originally opened in 1947, the diner went by the name of Poirier’s Diner and was located in the Olneyville neighborhood. This was the center of the big names of the manufacturing industry at that time, so the diner’s fast service and long hours served the manufacturer’s schedules well. After eight years of operation by the Poirier family, the diner entered into a long line of ever-changing names, owners, and operators before being officially closed down in 1999. The diner was faced with the threat of demolition in 2003, but thankfully, a Providence-based developer by the name of Jon Ozbek realized the artistic and historic significance and purchased the structure. |
Ozbek relocated the diner to 1380 Westminster Street and began extensive renovations to restore the structure back to its original Art Deco vibrancy.
Restorations were made possible with the assistance of the Providence Revolving Fund, the Rhode Island Historic & Heritage Commission, and the National Park Service. After a difficult and tedious restoration project and construction of a new extension of the structure, the diner was ready to please customers by 2012. At this time, Arena and David Penta, local diner owners, stepped in and opened The West Side Diner.
Why should we save the diner??This dining car is significant today for many reasons. First and foremost, in December of 2011, it became the second diner in Rhode Island to be added onto the National Registrar of Historic Places, following the Modern Diner of Pawtucket. The dining car itself was built by the Kullman Dining Car Company located in Harrison, New Jersey, and today is only one of two remaining Kullman Diner structures in the state of Rhode Island. It is also one of the prominent Art Deco infrastructures located in Providence today. Some of the traditional Streamline Art Deco elements that remain today include the signature stainless steel structures, porcelain enamel elements, and ribbed glass block elements. Other standout features include beautifully curved windows, an old-fashioned countertop with barstools that runs the entire length of the interior, and the original stainless steel fridge that could have been seen in that very same diner car in 1947 under the name of “Poirier’s.”
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