New Diner To Open At Former Dig's North Buffalo Street Location
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Brian McClelland is opening a new diner on North Buffalo Street in downtown Warsaw next month that will serve breakfast and lunch six days a week.
McClelland signed a lease for the building at 114 N. Buffalo St. Oct.1 with Bill "Dig" DeGaetano, former owner of Dig's Diner.A sign is taped to the diner's window that says "Coming Soon B-Mac's On Buffalo."
The diner will replace Dig's Diner, which closed in December after serving food for 17 years.
It is McClelland's first time for opening a diner and said he plans to open the diner in mid to late November that will be called "B-Mac's On Buffalo." Breakfast and lunch will be served Mondays through Saturdays at the diner.
"It's a leap of faith opening my own diner, but the location is wonderful and I am excited to provide good service and food," McClelland said.
Customers will be able to order breakfast anytime from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Lunch will be served Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Daily specials will be available.
Breakfast menu items include traditional items such as omelets, sausage, eggs and bacon.
Burgers, shakes, chicken sandwiches, fries, soups and salads will be on the lunch menu. Carry-out and delivery also will be available.
McClelland said he plans to eventually offer a homestyle carry out dinner in the evenings.
"In today's world both parents are working and I hope to provide authentic home-cooked dishes for people to pick up and take home after work," McClelland said.
McClelland, 43, originally from Whiting, moved with his family to Warsaw in 1994 where he currently lives with his three children.
He worked at K-Mart, Warsaw, and also at Reneker's Sports Shop, Warsaw, as a business manager for five years.
"While I was working at Reneker's I got the idea to start my own business," McClelland said.
He was employed by K-Mart for 20 years in locations including Illinois, Hammond and Plymouth.
He was an operations manager for K-Mart for 12 of the 20 years and managed K-Mart's K-Cafe's. He prepared food for customers and taught food safety classes.
McClelland said his first memories of cooking were when he was 5 years old making homemade sausage at his church in Whiting.
He attended Manchester College where he studied environmental studies.
"I like to cook a variety of foods, but my favorites are stuffed pork chops and twice- baked potatoes," McClelland said.
John Perkins Jr. and Mary Lou Trimboli, who formerly worked at Dig's Diner, will be employed at B-Mac's On Buffalo.
Perkins was employed at Dig's for four years as a cook and dishwasher before it closed and will be a cook at the new diner.
"I'm excited for the new diner to open," Perkins said.
Trimboli was a waitress at Dig's Diner for 18 years.
"I'm looking forward to being a waitress again and am excited," Trimboli said.
McClelland said he respects DeGaetano's former business and that is why he decided to keep the same diner feel.
"Dig has been a big help in giving me advice on how he ran his business and I know his diner meant a lot to this community," McClelland said.
McClelland has been spending the past week painting the diner's walls red and taking down the mirrors that were in the diner.
He said he plans to keep the red booths and tables from Dig's in his new diner.
McClelland also plans to run a tile wall board along the wall's perimeters.
He said he plans to initially hire five to seven employees.
