Beloved Union Street Diner is a staple in the Ohio University and Athens culture as the only 24-hour establishment in town
It’s Wednesday evening. Gerard Dunn shuffles into Union Street Diner and sits at the table directly across from the kitchen and cashier stand. In less than a minute, a pitcher of Diet Pepsi and a glass is placed in front of him, prepped for his long stay.
It’s the same scene that has happened seven times a week for the past 16 years.
Dunn has been a regular at Union Street Diner, 70 W. Union St., ever since it first opened its doors in 1997, initially in the building that now houses Thai Paradise, 102 W. Union St.
“They give me the red carpet treatment, I must say,” Dunn said.
It’s a convenient spot for Dunn, an Athens resident, who only lives about 150 feet down the road. It’s also a convenient spot for the drunken wanderers who seek nourishment and hydration after the bars close.
It’s the only 24-hour restaurant in Athens.
“For me, it’s part of the cultural fabric without a doubt,” said David Vazquez, a senior studying theater performance who said he has a sinful addiction to the bacon cheese fries, about $6.
Returning to its original glory
But USD wasn’t always so popular.
Joy Darnell has worked at USD since it opened and remembers customers being dissatisfied with the inconsistency that occurred when Dee Forsyth owned it.
“It was very difficult because a lot of customers would come to eat, and the restaurant would be closed, so they would get angry and not come back,” Darnell said.
Jay Shapiro has co-owned USD since 2011 after purchasing it from the Forsyth family, the original owners. He previously owned D.P. Dough for more than a decade before deciding to revamp what he considered a downward spiraling diner.
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“I’d been coming as a customer for years, and they had just stopped being open 24 hours a day even though the sign still said it,” said Shapiro, who is originally from the Boston area. “I saw it getting slower and saw an opportunity to go in there, take over and bring it back to 24 hours a day.”
Shapiro purchased all new kitchen equipment, totaling about $100,000. During that first year, Shapiro said he would often pull 21-hour shifts and recharge by taking 2-hour naps.
In 2007, USD moved to its current location.
Shapiro said since he has owned the diner, sales have increased 300 percent, which he said is due to his “anal-retentiveness” with service.
“I want it to be perfect,” he said. “People order food because they’re hungry, not because they want to sit and wait for an hour.”
Working day & night
The “fantastic” service is what made a first visit to the restaurant memorable for Chris Reinbold, a sophomore studying recording industry, who went to dinner there with his girlfriend, Courtney Yeager on Nov. 5.
The waiter? Popular USD server Tim Buck, who has worked at the diner for about two years.
“He was an exuberant fellow,” Reinbold said. “It was just really impressive.”
Buck said he is flattered by his popularity at the diner, laughing it off as something that just comes from his fun and easy-to-say name. Shapiro said people frequently request Buck as their server.
Buck said people just shout his name and chant “Tim Buck needs a raise.” He said he’s even been called “Wizard Tim” because of how fast he brought out the food. One time, he said USD staff members had to actually ask a group to stop yelling his name.
Buck now works the second shift — 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. — but prefers to do the third shift — 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. — because of its more laid back atmosphere where it feels more like he’s “hanging out” with people instead of just being their waiter.
“I’ve met a lot of people on that shift,” said Buck, 24. “We just talk at 4 a.m. when there isn’t anything else to do. … A lot of walks of life are awake at that time.”
The third shift often deals with the drunken crowd, but Buck said he doesn’t mind. In fact, he said it’s a challenge that allows him to be more personable with the customers.
Darnell, 56, used to work the first shift, from about 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., for more than 15 years, but when she had to temporarily work the third shift, she said she loved it and decided to stay on it.
“The people are polite and nice. You wouldn’t think so on a midnight shift, but they are,” she said. “You have your share of rowdy ones, but for the most part, it’s an easy shift … It’s a lot of fun to watch everyone else be drunk.”
But not all of the servers have the same sentiment. Deb Six started working at USD in January after having worked at Court Street Diner for nine years. She said it took her three days to recover from staying up all night working the third shift.
“It isn’t for me,” said Six, a single mom of two who has waitressed for 13 years. “It’s for people like (Tim Buck) who’ve got the high energy.”
USD typically has a positive atmosphere despite the time of night, Buck said.
Once, someone borrowed his guitar to play “Wagon Wheel,” and Buck said those in the restaurant joined in on the chorus and refused to let the player perform anything else.
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Vomit is also sometimes an issue. Buck said a lot of the times, people just get sick right on their plates.
“They’re really apologetic, but honestly, I’m just like ‘Good aim.’” he joked.
Good for the wallet and the stomach
Catering to the drunken crowd is not the diner’s busiest hours. Instead, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the most hectic time of the week, Shapiro said.
His standards require that nobody waits more than 20 minutes, though it can be longer during special weekends such as Moms Weekend last year when he said he had more than 100 people waiting.
Six said she has enjoyed working at USD because of the food’s high quality for an inexpensive price. She said the food is the same price or less for fast food but instead customers get dressed up pancakes, fresh fruit and, until the West Union Street fire, Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery bread.
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Breakfast is served 24/7 at USD and accounts for a large portion of its sales.
Vazquez’s suggestions:
Tilapia: $8.99
Union Club sandwich: $9.99
“Few places can make a better plate than USD,” he said.
Where everybody knows your name
As a late night venue in town close to campus, USD has garnered a strong population of regular customers.
Caylin Pugh, a senior studying classical civilization, used to frequent the diner every weekend for more than a year when her friend worked as a server.
Pugh said she and her group of friends loved having USD as a space to congregate and hang out for several hours, be it on their computers or playing board games.
As an Athens native, Pugh said USD is part of her childhood. Buck, also from Athens, agreed.
“Everyone around here knows Union Street Diner,” Buck said. “I feel like everyone has gone into USD in the middle of the night at some point because it’s open. … It’s there for everyone.”
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Tyler Buchanan did not go to Ohio University, but even as just a visitor, he frequented the diner. When he moved to Athens one month after graduating from Bowling Green State University, he started coming four to six times per week.
Each time, he has his own pot of coffee and a mug while he works on his computer in the corner booth by the window in the upstairs section of the diner. Buchanan, a reporter for the Vinton County Courier, said he likes that spot because he can see the constant flow of people.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a bar to have that awesome, fun, public, crazy experience,” he said. “This is my place. As long as it’s 24 hours and as long as it’s open, I’ll always be coming back.”
@buzzlightmeryl
mg986611@ohio.edu
