Geets Diner bustles in grand opening preview

The Courier-Post

Geets Diner's new owners polished the iconic eatery's chrome and are ready to reveal the diner's face-lift at the March 24 grand opening.

MONROE - The soft reopening of Geets Diner was supposed to be a quiet week for Sandy Cannon's staff to work out kitchen and serving kinks before Saturday's grand opening and ribbon-cutting.

"We didn't realize that when we opened the door up, word of mouth was going to be so quick," Cannon said Friday, standing at the counter in the iconic Williamstown eatery's main dining room.

The diner's parking lot was full Friday morning between late breakfast eaters moving out and the lunch crowd moving in.

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Servers speed-walked between their tables and the kitchen. The cash register clanged, and conversations went on in booths.

It's like the diner was never abruptly closed, or in danger of demolition.

"The first day was hectic," Cannon said. "Everything is pretty smooth today."

Cannon opened for limited hours Monday and Tuesday, turning away some late-arriving customers in the evening. Snow closed the restaurant midweek, before it reopened Friday.

"People have been great and really patient," Cannon said.

Doreen Kane wasn't going to wait until the grand opening to restart a Friday family tradition that paused in 2016 when the diner closed. The previous owners filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

Until then, Kane and her daughters met for dinner every Friday for 23 years. Sometimes, they'd end up there for Sunday breakfast, too, the Williamstown woman said.

"It broke my heart when it closed," Kane remembered. "We came here every week. It was a nice tradition."

Cannon, a Delsea Regional High School graduate from Franklin Township, knew she was investing in an icon when a federal bankruptcy court judge authorized her purchase of the property for $3.9 million in early 2017.

The sale was down to two parties — Cannon and Cyzner Properties.

Cyzner was in favor of a "knockdown" of the site, the company's broker told the Courier-Post in 2017.

While it's been tradition for decades that one or more lighted letters are dark on the iconic Geets Diner sign, new owner Sandy Cannon said the sign has been repaired and every letter will glow with new LED lights.

"The town didn't want this place to be torn down," said Cannon, whose business partner is a chef at Franklinville Inn.

Cannon agreed to reopen the diner under the same name. Despite its condition — a leaking roof and lack of upkeep — the new owners worked to keep as many original fixtures as possible, including mirrors, floors in the main dining room, and the polished chrome inside and out.

The kitchen and bathrooms received full overhauls.

And the iconic Geets sign — a Black Horse Pike landmark known for having at least one letter's lights out at a time — was restored and its bulbs replaced with LEDs, Cannon said.

The diner employs a staff of 68, the owner said.

"My employees are new and learning to work with each other," Cannon said. "It's getting smoother and smoother as days go by."

In the hours leading up to the grand opening, Cannon was fueled by "nervous energy" and the memories of the diner customers have passed on to her over cups of fresh coffee.

"I'm excited that they're excited," Cannon said.

Carly Q. Romalino: @carlyqromalino; 856-486-2476; cromalino@gannettnj.com

If you go

Geets Diner is at 14 N. Black Horse Pike, Williamstown.
The diner will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Geets Lounge will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting event will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24.