Daily Diner abruptly closes

By JAN WILLMS

Nearly all of the online reviews of the Frogtown Daily Diner at 625 University Ave. were positive—customers raved about the parmesan hash browns, the pancakes and bacon, the chicken and waffles. They liked the bright and airy atmosphere, enhanced by local artists’ work. And they described the welcoming feeling and the efficiency of the servers, stating they would be back.

But the numbers of diners were not sufficient to keep the restaurant afloat, and the Frogtown Daily Diner closed its doors abruptly Feb. 12 after nearly two years of operation. Operated by the Union Gospel Mission (UGM) as a program to teach its clients all aspects of the food industry, the Diner was as much an employee training project as a restaurant.

“Our original plan was to run a vocational training program,” explained Brian Molohon, director of development for UGM. “We had individuals going through other programs at the mission, and once they became stable this would give them a chance to step out into the real world. This was an opportunity for them to get a real work experience.”

The 12-week program provided the trainees with an apprenticeship with another restaurant, once they had completed their training at the Diner.

“We had 12 clients go through the program, and when they finished they were better off,” Molohon said. “But we were losing a lot of money, and the costs were prohibitive.”

He said it was a very tough, tough decision to close the Diner, but UGM determined it could continue vocational programs that would be much more cost-effective.

“Operating the restaurant was not about making money,” Molohon continued, “but we can’t be losing tens of thousands of dollars to make it work.”

He said the Diner definitely had a loyal following of customers but was never overly busy.

“That was part of the challenge,” Molohon said. “There was not enough volume for the trainees to interact with customers. The Capitol renovations took away customers, and the Green Line construction and a lot of different pieces were affecting traffic flow.”

Molohon said that people were still nervous about coming down to University Ave. after such a long period of construction. “The Green Line finally opened late, and initially the ridership was not as high as had been predicted.”

He said UGM did a lot of marketing and tried different things to bring in customers, but there was not enough volume.

“The Mission is very healthy,” he added. “It was not that we had to cut the restaurant because the Mission was hurting. The question is how can we be better stewards? We worked with a dozen trainees in two years, and we can do a lot more with internal programs for a lot less cost. “

“God has blessed us with funding from donors,” Molohon stated. “We’re in a growth mode that allows us to help many more people.”

The connection he had with both the trainees and hired staff, a total of about 22 people, is what Mike Olinger, who came on as general manager of the Diner in September 2013 will miss most.

Olinger was responsible for the over-all operation of the Diner from the front to the back of the house.

“I worked with employees, schedules and customers,” Olinger said. “I miss the day-to-day interaction with the staff. I felt like we created a family, and I think everyone felt that way.”

“I miss the interaction with customers, also,” he added, “and a lot of the good relationships that were developed. I knew a lot of them by name, and we would hug each other and talk about our families. I miss the interaction with my UGM family, too.”

Olinger said that he knew, from his restaurant experience, how it is always difficult to get the word out when you open a new place. “Getting people in the seats is always a big challenge,” he said.

“From the aspect of UGM, we had a vocational training program that was a great program,” Olinger noted. “The concept was fantastic. Putting everything together, we saw success in getting people into jobs and going out and having self-confidence.”

He said that administering to people who needed help had brought him the greatest gratification.

“From a program standpoint, I understand the decision that was made to close and it was a good decision, but that doesn’t make it any easier,” Olinger said. He said that he couldn’t emphasize enough how much he appreciated the opportunity the Mission gave him at the Diner. “I thank the staff at the Mission for that chance,” he said.

Olinger said he would love to see the same type of concept in the same location. “My goal would be to reopen with backers and keep that concept. It’s the right idea to create opportunities where people become self-sufficient. I miss the fact that we were able to help these people.”