Beloved South Jersey Airport Diner Suddenly Closes

One of the most unique, beloved diners in South Jersey has served its last plate of bacon and eggs.

"Unique," in this case, was not because of the diner's interior design or some exquisite menu item, although their food was outstanding; this was more about its location -- just a couple of hundred feet from an active airport runway.

For years, diners could watch small planes taxi and take off just a few hundred feet away while enjoying breakfast.

Our travels today take us to Lower Township in Cape May County, where the Flight Deck Diner, right on the grounds of the Cape May Airport, has abruptly closed for good.

Community Reaction Pours In on Social Media

When they shared that news on Facebook Friday morning, the comments were voluminous.

My heart goes out to you and your staff . Flight Deck will always be in our hearts, and we'll miss it dearly . You guys were the best!

Damn, there goes my favorite breakfast spot. Hopefully you guys move to a new location!

This is terrible news! Your food was always great and your prices were always fair but even more importantly your servers and bussers were incredibly friendly and hard-working. There was never an idle hand in the building. Yet they were all pleasant as they scurried to serve the multitude of patrons that were happy to have scored a table at your always-busy restaurant!

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Structural Damage Forces Restaurant to Shut Down

As to why Flight Deck is closing, it's because of the building itself.

According to the diner,

It is with great sadness that I have to tell you all that the FLIGHT DECK DINER is officially closed for good. After the Landlord gathered all their Engineer reports, both structural and electrical, etc., the repair of the building would be millions of dollars to fix, therefore they need to terminate my lease agreement.

According to social media posts, the diner initially closed for a winter break from January 24th through February 6th. On February 3rd, they said, "Due to the cold weather we had a major leak in the top of the old terminal part of the building in an old fire suppression system! There is significant damage therefore we wont be opening Saturday as planned."

An update about ten days later said, "Flight Deck is still closed because of the water damage to the main building."

Now, it appears that the damage from that pipe break was too much to overcome for the building itself.

The diner's owner is asking for assistance from the community in assisting its employees with finding new jobs -- you can visit their Facebook page to help.

The 12 Best Diners at the Jersey Shore

You'll want to check out these diners the next time you are down the shore!

Gallery Credit: Chris Coleman

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Dino's Seaville Diner, Route 50 in Ocean View

When you're down the shore, Dino's has been a fixture just off of Routes 9 and 50 in Ocean View for almost 45 years.

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Shore Diner, Tilton Road in Egg Harbor Township

The Shore Diner on Tilton Road between Fire Road and the Parkway has been a staple for generations.

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Vegas Diner, New Jersey Avenue in North Wildwood

The Vegas Diner has been feeding those in the Wildwoods for many, many years -- and you certainly can't miss their sign.

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Silver Coin, Routes 30 & 54/206 in Hammonton

At the crossroads of South Jersey, Routes 30, 54, and 206, for 40 years sits the Silver Coin Diner. Everything is on the menu here from mimosas to a "Whole Lotta Meat" omelette.

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JJ's Diner, Washington Avenue (old Cardiff Circle) in Egg Harbor Township

This diner at the old Cardiff Circle in Egg Harbor Township has seen a bunch of names over the years. Most recently, it's JJ's and it's getting high reviews online. Note that JJ's closes at 4, so stop by for breakfast or lunch.

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Little Goat Diner, Delilah Road in Pleasantville

Right off of Route 9 and Delilah Road in Pleasantville is the Little Goat Diner. This is where locals in the area go for breakfast and lunch.

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Harley Dawn, Black Horse Pike in Folsom

Out in the Penny Pot section of Folsom (not too far from Hammonton) is the Harley Dawn. This was a little place back in the day; it was demolished and they rebuilt a very modern restaurant. The food here is great and when blueberries are in season, they're all over the menu at Harley Dawn.

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Court House Diner, Route 9 in Cape May Court House

Right in the middle of Cape May County, the Court House Diner is just a minute or two off of Parkway Exit 10.

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The Harbor Diner in Egg Harbor City

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50s Diner, Route 50 in Tuckahoe

The next time you are "taking the back way" to and from the shore, check out the 50s Diner on Route 50 (not too far from Route 49) in Tuckahoe.

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Mays Landing Diner, Route 40 in Mays Landing

Chances are on any given weekend in the summer, traffic will back up at Routes 40 and 50 in Mays Landing. Before or after you sit there, a quick stop at the Mays Landing Diner will fill you up.

11 things that make a New Jersey diner a real diner

Gallery Credit: Jeff Deminski

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Paper placemats

A New Jersey diner cannot, ever, have linen tablecloths. The tabletops must be bare, with only paper placemats provided. Those paper placemats MUST have ads for local businesses printed on them. It helps if one of those local businesses is a bail bondsman.

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Vestibule games

A diner has the outer doors then the inner doors. In that vestibule must be at least one dumb game you plug quarters into. Something like the Love-o-meter where you place your finger and it reads and tells you if you are clammy, mild, wild, hot stuff, etc..

Fudio

Breakfast anytime

If you're a fan of comic Steven Wright you can't help but to hear his voice saying, "I'll have French toast in the Renaissance period." Seriously though, if you can't get breakfast at literally any time of day or night, you're in a restaurant. You're not in a diner.

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Laminated menu

To be designated a bonafide diner its menu should be laminated. It should also be oversized, perhaps as large as a sofa cushion. Its breakfast section alone should be longer than most restaurants’ entire menu. Also, if there’s a small, decade-old ketchup stain on the laminate, all the better for diner status.

Michael Burrell

Pay on the way out

Think about it. Don’t the most genuine of New Jersey diners stick to the tried and true method of the customer bringing the paper check to the cash register and settling up there? If you’re paying at the table and leaving tips inside the leather-bound fold instead of tucked under the edge of a plate, you’re in a restaurant.

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Celebrity photos

If it’s a diner, and an even slightly famous person ever visited it, there will be photos of the celebrity on the wall. I believe it’s the law.

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Counter with stools

I cannot stress the importance of this feature. A diner has a counter where you can sit alone and has been swivel stools at said counter. Bonus if behind the counter is a case with mini-boxes of cereal.

Getty stock / Thinkstock

Dessert case

A diner will have a display case showing off their tempting desserts like a window showing off prostitutes in Amsterdam. The three must-have desserts are lemon meringue pie, rice pudding and cheesecake.

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Hon or sweetie

A cardinal rule of being a diner is that no customer is referred to as sir or miss or ma’am. The correct titles are hon, sweetie or doll. No exceptions.

Photo by Tom Grove on Unsplash

Jukeboxes

It’s not an absolute must, however if there’s an individual miniature jukebox right in your booth then rest assured, no questions asked, you’re in a diner. And at least two Frank Sinatra songs are requisite.

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24/7

Today’s economic realities mean the diners that were open 24 hours a day 7 days a week may today close for a few hours in the middle of the night. As long as they still open early and stay open late they can still be a diner. But when a place is open 24 hours, rest assured you’re in a diner.

Chris Coleman, a South Jersey native, is the brand manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM and afternoon on-air personality on WPUR Cat Country 107.3 in Atlantic City, NJ. He joined the station in February 1998 and covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey for Townsquare Media. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com