SAN DIEGO — Longtime customers are saying goodbye to a beloved breakfast spot, as the North Park Diner announces it's closing this month after serving customers for several decades.
It's a tough development for regulars like Earl Hansel, who remembers when he heard the news.
"The place is sold? No, it can't be," said Earl Hansel. "I've been coming here since 1950. This is an old homestead. I haven't missed a day in so many years I can't remember when."
Hansel and his wife Dolores sit in the same two chairs in front of the counter every day, with coffee cups reserved for them.
"These are old, old, old cups," said Hansel.
The Hansels say they rarely look at the menu. The servers usually know what they want as soon as they sit down.
"You come in here and they make you feel at home," said Hansel. "It's not like going into a restaurant and you're just a number. We sit here and we'll spend an hour and a half, two, three hours."
So after decades of watching the North Park Diner change, regulars like the Hansels will miss much more than the food.
"The food and the friends," said Hansel. "At our age we need friends."
The North Park Diner's owner tells 10 News he sold the building to a developer a year ago. The original building will be demolished to make space for a new one, and the diner will close after service on Nov. 20.
