The History of Dino's Seaville Diner

ON THE WAY TO CAPE MAY, THE BEGINNING

The year was 1977.  His family was away for an Easter holiday with family in New York City. Dino Karayiannis had had enough.  Working at a Vineland restaurant where he was increasingly unhappy, he quit his job.  Dino had been scanning the classified ads in search of his dream; his own restaurant.  The search led to the intersection of U.S Route 9 and N.J. State Highway 50, in Seaville, New Jersey;   The Girls Wayside Kitchen was for sale. It was once a truck stop along the way to Cape May before the Garden State Parkway was constructed through Cape May County. The gas station was eventually closed but the restaurant remained open.  It was a nice little eatery in a quiet little village in the Upper Township section of Cape May County.  Seeing the establishment stoked the flames of his long time dream.  After prodding his wife Marianna, a call for monetary assistance was made to his father-in-law who immediately obliged.  The deal was soon struck and The Girls Wayside Kitchen became Dino's Wayside Kitchen. 

Dino took ownership of the establishment right before the summer of 1977.  He immediately knew he could make a success of the place by applying the lessons learned from a lifetime in the restaurant business.  He worked tirelessly that first year.  He commuted from Vineland early every morning and went back home late every evening.  He was determined to succeed.  The combination of a good location, good food, reasonable prices and a personable proprietor all contributed to his early success and gaining the favor of the local community.

Day trips where common in those days.  The island towns of Ocean City, Sea Isle City, and The Wildwood's were all a short drive away.  The summer tourists who visited the shore went home by way of going north on Route 9 or exiting the parkway at exit 20 and proceeding up Route 50.  This caused traffic jams for hours right at the front door; a restaurateur's dream.  There was also the area's unknown gem; the campgrounds.  There were many in the area and their inhabitants took a liking to Dino's as well.  The campground customers soon became "summer regulars", returning year after year.  Dino knew he had found his dream.  He proceeded to sell the family home in Vineland and hired a contractor to build a new home for the family in a development up the road from the business.

Settled in his new home with his family close by and able to help, he worked, and worked and worked.  With the help of his wife, Marianna, the business really took off and was a real success.  Dino's Wayside Kitchen soon gave way to Dino's Restaurant.  He tirelessly worked several years with few days off.

An itch however, soon struck Dino.  It was the dream of many Greek Immigrants in America to own a "diner".  Many Greek Immigrants upon their arrival in the 1950's and 1960's were first employed in diners.  Owners would share their knowledge of the business and attempt to teach the skills necessary to succeed in the diner business.  Dino watched, listened and learned.  The seeds were planted and the dreams of a diner had taken root.  Now, the time was near and Dino could see that his dream of owning a diner was possible!

He soon began to think of how to achieve his goal.  The corner property across the street (site of the current Shell Gas Station) was a commercial parcel and Dino thought it would be the perfect spot for a new establishment.   It was right across the street from the existing business and sat at the junction of three major highways, U.S. Route 9, State Highway 50 and Exit 20 off the Garden State Parkway.  It was a much larger lot and able to accommodate a larger place than the existing "triangle" parcel that Dino's Restaurant currently occupied. But the owner refused to sell the land to Dino.  No matter the offer, time and time again, he vowed "never" to sell the land to Dino.

Not to be deterred, Dino soon bought some parcels from the local mayor.  Although not an "ideal" location, it did sit on State Highway and was just up the road from the present establishment.  Dino figured that his existing "good name" and "good food" would draw people to the new establishment.  Dino also saw the opportunity for growth in the area as casino gambling was just beginning in Atlantic City.  New casino workers were beginning to discover what he already knew; Upper Township was a nice place to raise a family and was close to the shore towns and beaches.  Dino believed that this was the perfect place to grow a new business.  In May of 1982, those not so "ideal" parcels in Seaville soon gave birth to the present establishment, Dino's Seaville Diner.

THE BIRTH OF DINO'S SEAVILLE DINER

The country was in the middle of an economic downturn in the early 1980's.  It was a huge gamble to build a new place in the current environment.  Many people thought he was crazy to expand and that he would fail.  Yet none of that deterred a man with a dream and the desire to do what it took to achieve it.  He soon contracted with Kullman Industries of North Jersey for the purchase of a diner.  The diner was "The Flamingo Diner" which once sat in Brooklyn, New York City.  Kullman would take the old Flamingo, renovate it, and ship the reconditioned diner to Seaville in seven sections.  It was quite a sight to see coming down the road!

Unable to obtain a bank loan, Kullman Industries agreed to finance their end of the project with the diner land, Dino’s home (and that of his partner's at the time) as collateral. 

Interest rates on the loans were 19%.  Dino was also able to convince some of the local contractors who were customers, to do their work on credit.  He vowed he would pay them in time. It all came together and the business opened just before Memorial Day weekend in 1982.  

To kick things off, Dino's opened with a huge party.  A band played, the staff partied and many locals and regular customers were invited to the grand opening celebration; it was quite a time.  However, the real work would soon begin.  A larger establishment meant larger responsibilities.  Though an ample staff was hired, there was a lot of work and a lot of kinks to be worked out.  One of the biggest issues that needed to be resolved was whether to remain open 24 hours a day.  It was tried and clearly a mistake.  There was not enough business to sustain a 24 hour a day operation.  The cost to operate 24 hours was not only a financial strain but a physical and mental one as well.  Dino did not like the fact that the place was open and he was not able to supervise it to ensure things were being done "his way".  Thus, the decision was made to close at 11pm nightly.

The first summer season came and went and was a big success.  The first "off season" was another matter.  The year round local business was not as robust as it is today.  The area was still only in the beginning stages of the first building boom ushered in by the growth in Atlantic City. 

As the area grew, so did the reputation of the diner.  In town and in the surrounding communities Dino's became know for homemade food, plenty of it, reasonable prices, and a friendly staff.  Dino would be at the diner day and night greeting and talking to customers as they came and went making sure that his plan was followed.  Customers were happy and that made Dino not only happy, but proud.  Dino's successful formula worked for him and his diner for over 30 years until his sudden death from Leukemia in February 2008.

See Also: Dino's Today