Perfect match: Joey's Diner in Amherst becomes MaryAnn's
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Mar. 1—AMHERST
Bill Andreoli hadn't been to Joey's Diner on Route 101A in years, but after taking only a few steps inside the 1950s-themed breakfast and lunch spot, he knew he wanted to buy it.
Andreoli's family owns MaryAnn's Diner, with locations in Derry, Salem and Windham and known for its "Happy Days" vibe, with jukeboxes, old gas pumps and neon signs. He hopes new signs will be installed in Amherst within the next month. The purchase was formalized at the end of January.
The Joey's space was turnkey for MaryAnn's: Both businesses contracted with Designer Diners in New Jersey to create their nostalgic restaurants. Almost the entire staff of Joey's decided to stay. Waitresses now wear MaryAnn's uniforms, which say, "Let the good times roll" on the back.
Andreoli wasn't looking to open a fourth location, but he checked the place out after previous owner David Raptis reached out.
"I walked in and said, 'This is MaryAnn's,'" Andreoli said. "I went from, 'I'm not sure I'm interested in a diner' to 'How do I do this?' It would have been foolish for someone else to come in. It was already MaryAnn's."
The first MaryAnn's was opened 1989 in Derry by Andreoli's parents, Bill and MaryAnn, the diner's namesake. Andreoli's sister, Christina, is the general manager of the Derry location. Windham opened in 2013 and Salem in 2016.
The restaurant worked with BankProv to secure the new location. The property sold for $1.51 million.
The menu features daily breakfast specials from 7 to 11 a.m., including Belgian waffles, full stacks of French toast and "make your own omelets."
The space takes everyone back in time, with its black-and-white linoleum tile and a lot of stainless steel. The restaurant's centerpiece might be the front end of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air mounted on one of the walls.
The car's trunk has been retrofitted into a bench, which was tucked away in the back for decades until Andreoli moved it to the waiting area.
"Look at that cool car," said Jenna Shepherd of Merrimack, to her children, Kinsley, 4, and Jaycen, 8.
The family stopped to take a picture on the bench before being seated in a booth. The kids both ordered pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse, with plenty of whipped cream.
"I didn't know it was like this inside, so when I walked in I said, 'Oh, this is really cute,'" Shepherd said. "The kids liked the car. They think that was really cool."
Raptis, who owns Black Forest Cafe in Amherst and other restaurants, said the diner is in good hands.
"He has done amazing things for this place, and I know he is the right fit for it," he said. Raptis had other offers for the land, on the busy road about a mile from the Nashua city line, but he didn't want to sell to a developer who would tear it down.
Vaughn Palmer, who has been with MaryAnn's for 30 years and helped open the locations in Salem in Windham, will serve as general manager.
Besides some cosmetic work, Andreoli installed several flat screen TVs that show '50s music videos.
"What we love about it is it's universal," Andreoli said. "The kids coming in are bebopping to Elvis Presley and the Beatles, and you have people like my parents who are in their 60s and 70s and above, and that is the era they grew up in."
The challenges
COVID and recent spikes in food costs have created challenges for the restaurant industry.
"It was a pretty horrible experience," Andreoli said of the early shutdowns. "We saw restaurants all across the nation that were closing down for good because they couldn't adjust to what was happening."
The traffic is back to nearly pre-pandemic levels, and customers understand the need for price increases. MaryAnn's only raised its prices two weeks ago.
"I had to," Andreoli said. "I mean everyone watching the news understands that eggs have quadrupled in cost, and bacon has doubled in cost."
Patti Burk is glad the restaurant is staying open. She came on Wednesday with two friends to celebrate her 76th birthday.
"You're comfortable," she said. "They don't bother you. They let you sit and talk. The food is always predictable, and you know what you are getting."
They're often served by Tiffany Brewer, who has worked at the restaurant for 14 years.
"Our customers are wonderful," she said. "Our customers are just as much of our family as my co-workers are my family. We've lost people. We've watched people grow up and go off to college."
Political allure
Both MaryAnn's and Joey's have been popular spots for presidential candidates of both parties. Democrat John Kerry shed tears at MaryAnn's Derry location in 2003 while listening to an out-of-work woman.
Republican Mitt Romney got a lot of attention after pretending a waitress touched his butt in 2011. The moment that Romney said was "just teasing" made it on "Inside Edition."
Andreoli said former Vice President Al Gore showed he could come out of his shell during a visit during the 2000 presidential election.
"He came in and was grabbing bacon from people's plates and drinking coffee," Andreoli said. "He started it, and every two or three years it starts again."
American rock & roll singer and dancer Chubby Checker once stopped in.
But it's the everyday people who have become like family, some of whom come in multiple times a day, who make the place.
Andreoli said the new location will likely draw different customers from its other three locations, as the nearest is about a half-hour away.
"Right now, Salem is our top for sales," he said. "I believe Amherst has the opportunity to be just as busy as Salem."
