Aug. 20, 2021

The Phillips Avenue Diner has reopened after a nearly three-month absence because of fire damage.

“The staff is smiling, they’re ready to be back. Customers are smiling, they’re excited,” general manager Tyler Hernandez said. “People were really missing this part of downtown.”

While much of the interior looks like it did before the fire, there was a full ceiling and duct replacement, and the bathrooms were gutted and redone.

“We had Intek here constantly scrubbing the floors and the walls, making sure everything was ready to reopen,” Hernandez said.

And at 10:30 a.m. Friday, well before the typical lunch rush, the restaurant was already buzzing with  customers. 

“It was kind of unfortunate because last summer we were down due to COVID, and this summer we had the fire, so we’re hoping for a full summer next year,” Hernandez said.

The menu has stayed the same from before it closed June 4. The Diner is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.