SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — As time goes on, lots of things in a town might change. However, in East Syracuse there is a place that has always remained consistent.
Despite being small and closing at 1 p.m., The Redwood Diner has been open for 102 years. How has it manged to stay open that long? According to diner co-owner Jonathan Lassala, its all about the open.
“I think the main thing is just, if you serve a consistent product, and you have just good consistent service within the restaurant industry, I think people will keep coming back. And that’s the main thing that we strive to do,” said Lassala.
Now even with a smart business model, it’s still extremely difficult to keep a restaurant open for long periods of time. So, how has the Redwood Diner done so? Well, according to cook Michael Lasla, it’s all about the relationship with the locals.
“You can go to any place these days, so the fact that our customers choose to support a local place means a lot to us. Because, it’s probably the same price as going to Dunkin’ Donuts or a little bit more than Dunkin’ Donuts. So the fact that they come here and support us means more,” said Lassala.
Some of the locals even eat at the diner multiple times a day. The life blood of the diner is the locals. In fact, everyone who works there even know all the regular’s names. Some of the customers even help brew the coffee in the morning.
So next time you’re driving through East Syracuse. Make sure to stop at the Redwood Diner and remeber that lots of ordinary places can have lots of great history and stories.