SilverDiner

In 1988, Silver Diner co-founders Robert Giaimo and Chef Ype Von Hengst sought to establish an American family cuisine restaurant that bridged the gap between fast food chains and tablecloth restaurants. After touring the country visiting the best diner-styled restaurants, Giaimo and Von Hengst opened the original Silver Diner in Rockville, MD.

Giaimo grew up going to diners, which had always occupied a special place in his heart. With a lifelong passion and interest in diners serving as the ‘neighborhood gathering place’, Giaimo and Von Hengst spent a year visiting more than 500 diner-styled restaurants in small towns and large cities across the country. Their objective was to better understand how the classic American diner had been successful for more than 100 years.

Giaimo and Von Hengst knew that the unique roadside architecture and generous helpings of home-styled food had always been part of the widespread appeal of diners. They understood there was something special about diners - uniquely American, democratic institutions where the very look of the building on the outside – a shiny beacon, invites people in for diverse fare, including everything from homemade pie to a Bison burger. Giaimo and Von Hengst sought to recreate that authenticity.

In 1989, Giaimo and Von Hengst opened the original Silver Diner in Rockville, Maryland. In November of 2010, the flagship location was rebuilt, and now boasts annual sales of $7 million and remains one of the busiest restaurants of its sizes in the United States. It is the largest chain of diners in America with the highest average sales per store of its kind.