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A Brief History of Angelo's Diner

Waiting at the counter

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A Brief History of Angelo's Diner
If you have ever spent time in the small South Jersey town of Glassboro, then odds are you know what Angelo's Diner is. Angelo's Diner is a relic of the older days of Glassboro; yet as an establishment, it still thrives to this day. As a local diner, it is a place to dine for college students and working professionals alike. Depending on the time of day you decide to go to Angelo's, you could find yourself surrounded by blue collar workers in the wake of dawn, hungover college students looking for a bite of brunch, or families and couples ending their evening with some comfort food. Even as my partner and I reflect on our own experiences with Angelo's Diner, we are still perplexed at how such a small business can remain such a popular fixture in a rapidly growing college town dominated by an influx of new businesses. The only answer we could surmise to understand this question was that Angelo's has deep-rooted ties with the Glassboro community. We've heard countless times, "I've grown up eating here" or something along those lines. There is something about the affordable food and rapid paced environment that entices individuals to continue to support the diner throughout the years. They must be doing something right, considering even President Ali Houshmand of Rowan University eats there! As aforementioned, Angelo's has a substantial history in Glassboro. By looking at Angelo's throughout the years, we are provided a lens through which both Glassboro as well as Rowan University has changed. Additionally, we are given perspective on social interactions within a public space and how a sense of place is tied to concepts such as memory and location. Through the research we have completed during our limited time interacting with Angelo's and Glassboro Historical Society Members, we have gained a deeper and richer sense of understanding in regard to how a diner, or public space, can act as a representation of both globalization and romanticism.
Angelo's Diner was originally opened in 1946 by Angelo Tubertini and was located at the corner of North Main Street and East High Street (exact location is unclear, although it seems as though it would be roughly the parking spaces left of Sids Clothing Store 39.703010, -75.111740). According to community member Jackie Tartaglione, the diner got its start under the simple name of The Glassboro Diner (hear more from Jackie Tartaglione in our interview with her). Five years later the diner relocated to its present site (roughly 39°42'11.6"N, 75°06'41.9"W according to Google Maps), a few yards up Main Street, practically next to where it started. During the early years of Angelo’s, when it was known as The Glassboro Diner, there was a taxi shop rumored to be attached to it. In the early 50s, a small place—which sold things like soda, candy, and Christmas trees—called Dan’s Strike it Rich Stand opened next to the diner by a man named Dan DePrince, using the money he won from the game show Strike It Rich. In place of the taxicab shop and the stand now is a parking lot. The original model of the diner was that of a tin box structure, reminiscent of a train car. Over the years, the diner has undergone quite the makeover. It has added improvements such as awnings and even changed the color of those very awnings from green to red. Other than structural adaptations, the Glassboro Diner has also been altered its name as well. It is speculated that the diner was once referred to as The Lunch Wagon by older community members; one can see why such a practical name would arise due to the large wheel that was once attached to the diner’s train car structure. Even with the all the changes that Angelo’s has sustained, they have not deterred customers away, and Angelo’s has continued to be a place of gathering for Glassboro and Rowan community members alike. However, there was once a point in time where certain members of the community were excluded from the Angelo’s experience.
It is common knowledge that during the 1950s and 1960s, the United States was a drastically different environment than it is now, especially socially. Amidst the heightened racial tension, discrimination, and segregation at the time, Angelo’s diner also adopted discriminatory practices that were prevalent in that era. According to Glassboro resident and local historian, Robert P. Tucker (see oral history to left), as well as substantiation from longtime members of the Glassboro community, in the early days of the diner, African-Americans were not permitted to sit in the diner. They were required to order from the side window. Later the NAACP became involved, according to Mr. Tucker, and African-Americans were now able to sit and eat at the diner. However, they were given separate plates, cups, and utensils to eat with and their items were washed in separate sinks. Due to civil rights activism and other progressive advancements, social practices such as gathering and dining at public places has changed for the better, including at Angelo’s Diner.
While Angelo’s Diner did experience racial tensions, like many other establishments in that time period, that history is well in its past. In the current day, the diner is well known as a welcoming place for all races, religions, genders, ages, and classes alike. No matter what your background is, you fit in at Angelo’s Diner. To get a first-hand experience of the environment, we decided to go to the diner for breakfast together. We have gone numerous times separately throughout our years as Rowan University students, but we took the time to really observe the nature of the diner in the two times we went together. It is apparent that Angelo’s Diner is busy no matter what day of the week or time of day you go, and you can usually see the same few waitresses running around any time to get patrons their food quickly and accurately. As per our observations, which you can read more about in our notes above, earlier times of day seem to be populated by “blue collar” workers; we even overheard a waitress telling other patrons at the counter that most mornings, there are workers waiting outside of the diner before it opens at five o’clock in the morning to get their breakfast before heading off to their jobs. Once you approach the afternoon, however, we noticed that the diner seemed to attract older adults/couples and students. It was nice to see that the Rowan University students, just like both of us, chose to spend their reading day before finals hanging around with friends and enjoying good food at the diner.
As aforementioned, the diner has changed in numerous ways over the years, current owners Mary Ann and Joe Justice have done a great job retaining its nostalgic charm and delicious food. Some minor changes have occurred, such as how we showed above that the awnings donning the building changed from green and white stripes to red and black. When you go into the diner, it is very tiny and people are often standing around waiting for a booth or counter seat to open up. Roughly twenty stools line the counter, and about six tables/booths are against the walls of the building, with windows right next to them. It seemed to us that the college students and older couples tended to opt for tables/booths, while workers and single diners chose the counter and sometimes would even talk to each other. It is easy to see why the diner attracts so many people, especially Rowan University students since the menu boasts affordable prices for some great food—breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Although the diner apparently used to be open twenty-four hours a day, like a traditional diner, its current hours are 5 AM - 9 PM every day except Sunday, when it is open 5 AM - 8 PM. We did attempt to speak with Mary Ann, who is also Angelo Tubertini’s daughter, during our second joint visit at the diner during our project in order to obtain deeper information about the past and present of the beloved Glassboro diner, but she was unavailable when we were there.
From The Glassboro Diner’s inception to Angelo’s Diner presence today, the diner has remained a constant fixture of the Glassboro community and now the Rowan University community as well. The magnitude of Angelo’s meaning to the Glassboro community was represented in 2014 when a minor electrical fire occurred which caused the diner to close for a short period of two days and the community collectively pitched in to help. According to Andy Polhamus, the Glassboro Fire Department was not only able to subdue the flames in less than a half hour, but they were also able to help transport perishable food to a local bakery, Liscio’s, who also stepped in and allowed Angelo’s to use their freezers. Their collective effort to step in and help prevent further damage and preserve the food is a testament to the care the community has for Angelo’s.
There is an intangible quality that Angelo’s possesses that makes it appealing to both Rowan students that have only called Glassboro home for a few months or years and to Glassboro lifetime community members alike. It is more than simply a shared space; it’s a source of nostalgic memories for those that remember going to Angelo’s for Sunday brunch while growing up, as well as for Rowan Alumni that have formed a bond with the diner throughout their time at the university. While most of the community can unite over their love for great good, there is still some tension. Through our research about the diner, we found that many members of the Glassboro Facebook groups were expressing their distaste about the fundamental changes occurring in the small South Jersey town, exemplifying a reactionary sense of place. Many Facebook users, whom we will not name, shared their frustrations and fears of the university taking over the town they knew and loved, and they seemed unprepared for the drastic changes. Due to the rapid expansion of Rowan University in the Downtown Glassboro area, such as the creation of Rowan Boulevard and the increasing number of new University buildings, there were rumors of Angelo’s coming to a close. Despite these rumors being somewhat unsubstantiated, the angst those community members faced was real. Their concern demonstrates the deep emotional ties many of them have with Angelo’s. These emotional ties are the result of what urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined as a 3rd place, which is also known as a place which fosters social interactions, particularly of groups with different backgrounds or social statuses. Angelo’s is a staple of the Glassboro community not only because of the affordable food they serve, but because it serves as a source of social livelihood for the community. As aforementioned, depending on when you enter Angelo’s, you will observe people from all walks of life—young and old, going to work or coming from class, or locals/regulars ordering their favorite dish compared to a tourist looking for what should be their first taste of Angelo’s. The commonality these groups share despite the spectrum of differences between them is Angelo’s. For over half a decade, Angelo’s has remained a prominent and successful part of Glassboro. Part of the reason for that success is the meaning of Angelo’s to the very patrons that are dedicated to going there. According to Tim Cresswell, a researcher on placemaking and human geography, the most basic definition of place is a meaningful space. To these community members, Angelo’s is one of the first places they have formed an emotional attachment to and thus Angelo’s has a significant meaning to them. Through their emotional attachment and as a result a sense of significance, the community members have formed a sense of place about Angelo’s that was established early on in their lives. Their sense of nostalgia and memories of the older days of Glassboro has continually renewed their emotional attachment and sense of place as it pertains to Angelo’s.
Although Angelo’s may be considered a local favorite, there are many global processes inherently tied to the diner. The act of communal dining in a public setting is a concept known all over the world. The intricacies and social elements of attending a restaurant, cafe, or diner, such as exchanging cash for food and eating in a shared space with people from a myriad of classes, religions, and ethnicities are ideas and processes not foreign to most. Angelo’s is a diner located in Glassboro, NJ but shares global attributes that people across the world can resonate with. Many of us can envision a place in which we have strong emotional ties to. Close your eyes. Think of somewhere that gives you pleasant memories, whether it is of the past or future. Now open them. For many community members of Glassboro and Rowan University alike, that place is Angelo's diner.