ADM has played an important role in the rescue of vintage diners under threat of demolition or destruction due to new development or abandonment. The Museum helps to save such diners by acting as a broker for resale or by relocating a diner to temporary storage.
To rescue and move a diner can cost thousands of dollars. To keeps costs at a minimum, the Museum attempts to first relocate diners or find interested buyers. Rescued diners are resold in "as is" condition. All proceeds from sales go to the Museum's Annual Fund and/or the Diner Rescue Fund.
The Museum currently owns several diners that are in a restoration phase to be used as exhibits or to operate as working diners. The newly launched New Hope Project in conjunciton with Rhode Island Training School is working to restore several diners, including the former Louis' Diner, to be renamed the New Hope Diner, as well as Hickey's Diner, the last mobile lunch wagon built by the Worcester Lunch Car Company. Both diners will be restored for use as a working diner for the Museum.
Thank you for considering a donation to these projects. Please mail your donations by check or money order to the address above and designate how your donation should be allocated to the above funds.
The American Diner has played an important role in local communities throughout America. Local diners became gathering places for regulars and rest stops for out of town travelers. The style of food service popularized by diners sparked a phenomenonal expansion of convenient food in the American way of life. Businesses, large and small developed to meet this growing demand with the manufacture of equipment, production of supplies, marketin of services and the development and distribution of pre-packaged food service products. Corporate support and underwriting can help fund Museum projects such as the restoration and operation of Museum owned diners, educational programs, construction of our permanent facilities (library, exhibit planning and fabrication, office space) and working exhibits at the Museum. The Museum also seeks sponsorship and support from corporations to expand existing programs and develop traveling exhibitions on national and international levels.