SEAFORD, Del. - One of the last remaining 1950's diner cars on Delmarva is now nothing but rubble.
The Seaford Eagle Diner was ripped down Tuesday morning so the owners can re-build a new restaurant on site. Owner Serkan Darilmaz says the diner was in such bad shape that renovating it would've come at an astronomical cost.
"The building was getting old," he tells WBOC. "It needs a lot of maintenance."
Contractor Steve Vamvakas specializes in diner renovation and says tearing down the Seaford Eagle Diner was the right call.
"It's better to start from scratch so you don't leave any knicks and knacks inside," he says. "Everything's going to be brand new so you're not going to have a problem for 15-20 years."
The inside of the Seaford Eagle Diner was complete with 1950's booths, a counter and bar stools much like the diners immortalized in films like "Grease" and "American Graffiti." Darilmaz says as far as he knows, the old diner was the only one of its kind in this area. Other 1950s-era diners exist as far away as Dover and Exmore.
"There's a history right there, and we're getting ready to tear it down," he says. "I'm sorry...it had to be done."
The new diner should be built in four to six months and Darilmaz says that can't come soon enough.
"We can't wait to see our customers come back," he says. "Even better than before."
For more on the diner, visit their Facebook page.
