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Fire at Emerald Diner is under investigation
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The Emerald Diner in Hubbard was severely damaged by a fire Tuesday morning. The train car-turned-restaurant opened in 1994 after owner James P. Marsh brought the 1939 car from Connecticut and transported it to its location on North Main Street. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
By Danny Restivo
HUBBARD
Brandi Gardner started working at the Emerald Diner nearly 16 years ago while she was in high school.
“It’s where I grew up,” she said. “There were so many memories there for all of us.”
Gardner stopped by the restaurant Tuesday morning after she heard the news about the fire at her old place of employment.
“It was sad to see,” she said.
At the scene, Gardner saw firefighters from the Eagle Joint Fire District extinguishing a blaze that had engulfed the facility.
Firefighters said a call came in at 4:41 a.m. regarding flames at the iconic restaurant located on north Main Street.
The diner was closed at the time and no one was injured, but the state Fire Marshal was on scene to investigate the cause.
According to a press release, the fire was contained to the front portion of the restaurant where the damage was significant.
Local businessman James P. Marsh, the owner of the Emerald Diner, was not in Hubbard at the time of the fire, though he did release a statement about the restaurant.
He started the diner 18 years ago after he transported the 1930’s box car from a cornfield in Connecticut to its current location.
Marsh also brought a wooden archway from Idora Park, which served as a cover for the diner’s drive-thru area.
After “lovingly and painstakingly” refurbishing the interior, Marsh opened the diner in 1994.
Since then, the diner has been featured in calendars and magazines worldwide; it also got a No. 1 rating for restoration from the American Diner museum, the statement said.
Robert Reizian has operated the restaurant for two years, and he believes it was the loyal customers who made it special.
“You had a regular cliental, that’s what made it different,” he said.
“You had regular customers with different ages and families.”
Reizian’s stepdaughter, who works at the restaurant along with his wife and stepson, lives across the street from the diner in Colliers Court.
She was the first family member on scene to watch as flames severely damaged the family-operated business.
“It was devastating,” said Alexis Wilson.
“I’ve been crying all morning.”
By 9:30 a.m., firefighters had completely extinguished the blaze, and Alexis was accompanied by her stepfather and brother, Justin Wilson, a line cook at the restaurant.
All three waited for more information as crews worked the inside the old train car.
“It’s a terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach,” said Justin Wilson.
Larry Jugenheimer, and his wife, Mildred, have lived in Hubbard for 34 years, and frequented the restaurant since its opening.
“It’s a shock, and its sad,” said Larry Jugenheimer.
“It was a staple of our community.”
Alexis Wilson said she believes Marsh will rebuild, but in his statement he said “there is a lot of homework to be done before that can happen.”