That's what I imagine anyway, only because in retirement, Johnnie's now doing the exact opposite -- salvaging and preserving a segment of Americana being ever more rapidly consigned to and consumed by the dustbin of history.
Four of the many, many preserved gas pump lights at the Classical Gas Museum, Embudo, NM
What follows is a short clip of Johnnie's latest project: restoring a prefab diner like so many that sprang up across the country 60 or 70 years ago. It's Meier's plan to have this beauty fully restored, operational, and open for business by the spring of 2011. But artifacts of Route 66 in need of salvation take heart, i.e., note Johnnie's business plan at the conclusion of this brief video!
Video by Dada
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Dada's Diner Notes: As Meier told us, the diner being restored in the video was made in the 1950s by the Valentine Diner Company of Wichita, KS. I grew up at a time when these little gems were far more plentiful.
All my life I mistakenly thought the word 'diner' applied to any little eatery smaller than a decent sized restaurant. But it was during my visit with Johnny Meier I learned the only true diners were those prefabbed elsewhere and shipped to their final destinations. The diner pictured below is an example of a Valentine Diner similar to what Johnnie's may look like by next spring when fully restored.
After World War II, diners were seen as "an attractive small business opportunity." As Answers.com tells us, "From the mid-Twentieth century onwards, they have been seen as quintessentially American, reflecting the perceived...egalitarian nature of the country at large."
McDonald's, Burger Kings, et. al., likely explain why so many little diners have vanished, along with our egalitarian delusions.
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