The Newellstown Diner is a morning and mid-afternoon staple in downtown St. Clairsville. It’s been so for nearly 20 years.
The diner is never wanting for customers. But for a while, it was wanting for cooks. That longing last nearly long enough to necessitate a permanent closure.
One change of co-ownership, a temporary closure, and an influx of applications later, and the diner is set to reopen Monday.
Most won’t know how extremely close to permanent closure the diner was. But you can’t have a diner without cooks. They are kind of essential.
“We couldn’t hire any cooks,” co-owner T.J. Stewart admitted. “People were getting that extra $600 on unemployment, and no one would apply.
“We closed for a couple of months and were going to close permanently.”
Stewart’s partner, Mike Troullos who, like Stewart, is a member of the St.C. police department and was ready to call it quits.
He mentioned to Stewart that if someone wanted to buy his half out and keep the diner running, he’d be happy to sell.
That’s where Terra Butler came into the picture.
Butler is the fresh face on St. Clairsville City Council. She’s also a busy mom. Most importantly, to this situation, is she’s someone with 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry.
While this is her first time as an owner, Butler has worked in restaurants and run them.
“Most recently I was at Outback and Longhorn before that, but I started off in a little diner a lot like this when I was 17,” Butler admitted. “That’s how I initially got involved. (Council President) Jim Velas asked me, with my experience in the industry, if I knew any cooks who might want a job.”
Freshening Up
The diner will open anew Monday morning at 7 a.m. The new hours will run from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m., seven days per week.
Butler noted that Newellstown will be opening later on Friday and Saturday night, serving wings and fish and other menu favorites. But those hours won’t be during the first week.
Inside, veteran patrons will find splashes of colors to liven up the dining space where once the walls were nothing but white.
The diner has switched from fountain Coke to fountain Pepsi as its main soft-drink supplier. But staunch Coke supporters will still be to get their classic taste via can or bottle.
The menu has also been pared down.
“We haven’t changed a whole lot, but our menu is going back to a lot of what helped build us in the first place,” Stewart said. “It’s a simpler menu. Our menu grew and grew over the years into things that you normally wouldn’t associate at a diner.
“But we buy the highest quality ingredients you can buy, and that means additional storage space which we don’t have.
“We’ve eliminated some things and gone back to the basics with the diner menu, along with some of the very popular diner-type specials that we’ll have.”
Some of the expanded menu will reappear periodically as daily specials. Newellstown cooks still have that freedom to create their own specials.
One thing that is staying the same is the lower prices. This is quality diner-style food with top ingredients but at diner-style prices.
“When we opened, I always believed that all I wanted to do was break even,” Stewart said. “This is my town. I grew up here, I work here, and the town employs me.”
Potential New Wrinkles
Stewart noted the downtown scene is different now from when Newellstown first opened in June of 2001. There are more people, not just during Food Truck Fridays, but in general.
More faces mean more potential customers later in the evening.
Customers are also returning more to the locally owned restaurants for dinner as opposed to the national chains. That’s why Stewart and Butler are leaving themselves open to the possibility of later hours on a consistent basis.
“If demand called for it, we would stay open later,” Stewart said. “I think demand is different than it was in the past. When we first opened, it wasn’t there. But downtown is a lot busier in the evenings than it was before.
“We’re anxious to be a big part of that. We’ve rejoined the Chamber (of Commerce). We’ll see how the (extended hours) on Friday and Saturday go, but it’ll be Terra’s call. Most of the calls in here are her call.
“She knows the business and the people and, from what I’ve seen so far, I trust anything she says about the restaurant business.”
Newellstown is the place where regular come in the morning to start their day, talk about politics and the town. It’s a community gathering spot as much as it is a restaurant.
Given that, Stewart noted that the diner could be a great place to watch Red Devils’ athletics given the current fan restrictions mandated by the state of Ohio.
The diner will have a few televisions, and it won’t be difficult to stream the sporting events so fans not related to players and unable to purchase tickets will have a place to congregate and watch.
