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Saturday, September 03, 2011

Dight's Diner ~

Photo: Ron Dylewski 
The American Roadside.com
At the corner of Washington and Jefferson Streets. In 1953 it was bought by Bill Morgan who set up his first restaurant here.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was this diagonal across from the old post office?

Anonymous said...

YES IT WAS

Anonymous said...

Calling this Diggers Diner misses the history of the location. While it's last incarnation was an eatery owned by the funeral director next door, this was the original Morgan's Restaurant in Butler (and the whole multi-state chain), where the late Bill Morgan got his start as an entrepreneur and major franchisee of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Bill Morgan told me personally years later that he invented the 'bucket' container in which the KFC was sold, but I've never verified that, although, again, personally, I have no reason to doubt him. And Mr. Morgan purchased that particualr restaurant at the corner of Jefferson and Washington Sts., about 1 block off Main, as an existing business; I can't remember the name of the restaurant prior to his ownership, but believe he worked there as a teenager.

Anonymous said...

Dights diner opened approx 1952.
Worked there in the 70's as a teenager on the KFC side, I believe by then a company in Ohio owned the restaurants.
I remember it was fast paced and hard work and the older ladies that worked in the diner were always nice to us.

Anonymous said...

Bill Morgan was a personal friend of Col. Sanders himself. Bill Morgan was a giant in the restaurant business.

Anonymous said...

The name Digger threw me. Ate there often in 1952 when it was called Dights Dinner

Anonymous said...

I believe the physical dinner was sold. Does anyone know where it is today.

Anonymous said...

I believe the diner is now in Tarentum, Pa. You can look it up on Yahoo.

Anonymous said...

Yes the dinner is now attached to another building. It is now apart of Gatto Cycle Shop. It is called Gatto Cycle Dinner. Here is a link to a pic that is very similar to this one.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/u/photo_list/1456114

Anonymous said...

Does anybody remember a walkup hamburger place right there--cattycorner from the post office building?

Anonymous said...

Does anyone remember the name of the restaurant that sat at the location where the Howard' Johnson's Restaurant was located? My uncle worked their when he was young and I have been wracking my brain trying to remember the name?

Anonymous said...

Harold's (Herold's?),they had delicious ice cream, sold by the pound in paper trays.

gary m. said...

such good memories going to the diner in the mid-60's to mid-70's. i remember the veal parmesan and hot turkey sandwiches on the diner side and of course the buckets of chicken on the KFC side.

Stein said...

On Channel 13 they did a special on diners. Diggers Diner is relocated to Tarentum...conncted to the Gatto Cycle Shop. The old Eastland diner that Bill Morgan operated for years is now located in Erie.

Richard J. Palmer said...

I went to this diner in the 30's and 40's. It was right across from Klugh's store and the flatiron building where my grandma lived. I can just hear Ella Fitzgerald singing Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall which I would play by putting a nickel in the jukebox in the booth.

Richard J. Palmer

Richard J. Palmer said...

I take it back. I confused it with another diner. I am 85. Excuse me.