Welcome to the move and restoration to Dolly's Diner

The Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was a manufacturer of roadside diners from 1917 to 1955. The company produced some 2,000 of the long, narrow, primarily metal buildings, perhaps more than any other firm. Prefabricated in a factory and trucked to their locations, the diners resemble and are often confused with railroad rolling stock. The company's motto was "In our line, we lead the world".

We believe that our diner was the “1956 show diner especially designed and built by the Jerry O'Mahoney diner company” in 1955 for the 40th National Hotel Exposition in the Kingsbridge Armory, Bronx NY November 7-11th 1955.  Legend has that it is the last Jerry O'Mahoney diner ever built. 

The following is from the program booklet. 

“A Showcase Of Progress, 40th National Hotel Exposition 1955”

The beautiful new 1956 Jerry O’Mahoney show diner that you have visited at the 40th National Hotel Exposition was especially designed and built for the show. This marks the first time that an exhibit of this size has been presented at a trade show anywhere. It incorporates the very latest design concepts and interior layout for providing maximum efficiency in both kitchen and dining areas. Completely constructed in the Elizabeth NJ plant of the O’Mahoney company the show diner came to the Kingsbridge Armory completely outfitted with modern equipment and appointments that you have seen in your visit. Because of the size of this modern diner restaurant, it was constructed in two units each measuring 12 feet in width and 53.6 inches in length. It was transported over the highways across the George Washington Bridge in the early morning hours of Friday November 4th, 1955, by Parker brothers, New Rochelle New York one of the leading riggers in the east specializing in the transport of diners. Average construction time on a diner of this size and design is approximately 15 weeks after final plans have been approved. Each modern diner produced by the leading firms in this field is custom designed and tailored to the needs of the operator his location, taking all the many factors into consideration.

After the exposition we believe, it was returned to the factory in NJ until it was sold and moved to Monroeville Wilkins twp. Pennsylvania as the Gateway Diner 1956 to 1978, a nod to the PA Turnpike exit being the gateway to Pittsburgh via Rt 22. The Gateway Diner closed in 1978, and the contents auctioned off, a bulldozer was ready to demolish the empty diner. But at the last minute the shell was bought and was moved to Washington twp. Near Apollo PA where it sat along route 66 for a couple years, later it moved again and was reopened as a video store in Washington Twp. where we believe is when the right side coffee counter was removed. On the move again in 1994, this time in two pieces that had to travel though Leechburg PA because it could not fit across the Apollo pony bridge. It was refitted and reopened as a The Yakitty Yak diner and opened for business November 30th 1994 with a beautiful neon sign on the roof. 27 years later in November 2021 the Yak closed. The diner sat empty for a month or so till it was saved from demolish once again. Starting out 2022 it was moved again just down the road ¼ mile for another restoration and a new life as Dolly’s Diner.