When it comes to Plainview history, one of its most enduring aspects is one steeped deeply in tradition, family and dining excellence.
After opening its doors in 1972 at 1094 Old Country Road, the Plainview Diner is an eating establishment two generations in the making. Niko Papavasilopoulos, Dix Hills resident and co-owner, said that his father (and fellow co-owner) John came into ownership of the diner the old-fashioned way—he started at the bottom and worked his way up.
“My father came over from Greece in 1972. His cousin had just opened the Plainview Diner, and my father started as a dishwasher and worked his way up from there,” said Papavasilopoulos. “My father eventually bought him out in the mid-to-late 1980s and took over the diner, and he’s been running it ever since.”
Papavasilopoulos said that there are many things that set the Plainview Diner apart from your run-of-the-mill eateries. One aspect is the strong sense of community they have developed with patrons over the years, even going so far as to offer an annual $1,000 scholarship to students at John F. Kennedy High School. They also pour their heart and soul into not only the quantity of their menu, but its quality as well.
“The fresh quality of our food really makes us stand out. We’ve always been fresh, we’ve never gone the other way,” said Papavasilopoulos. “Even if we have to bite the bullet and spend a little more, we’ve always wanted to give people what we would eat at home. There’s a lot of competition out there these days, but you can go to a place like Applebees and get a frozen steak or come here to a diner and get it fresh.”
Some of the popular highlights of the Plainview Diner menu are their new babyback ribs, homemade salmon burgers and a variety of baked goods such as bread, buns and desserts, all prepared from scratch on the premises.
Papavasilopoulos himself has been involved with the diner for almost as long as he can remember. Only in his late 20s, he can already boast an impressive background in the restaurant field.
“I’ve been working here since I was a kid—washing dishes, peeling potatoes, taking change—since I was probably eight or nine-years-old, just helping out,” said Papavasilopoulos, adding that he went to business school and later culinary school. “I worked in a couple of big restaurants to get some different experiences in the industry, and then I came back here. The goal was always to do that; deep down in my heart, to come back here.”
Upon returning to the Plainview Diner, Papavasilopoulos took his side interest in technology and applied it to the restaurant in a rather ingenious way—he spearheaded the installation of touchscreens in each booth that will allow patrons the ability to browse food menus, place orders, request checks, take pictures of their dinner party via a built-in camera and much more. The touchscreens are a first for any diner on Long Island, Papavasilopoulos noted.
“We’re currently testing them out and working on integrating them with our Point-of-Sale system. Once we do, you can order your meal with them,” he said. “People can use them to watch YouTube videos, take selfies at the table and email them to each other and access and ‘like’ things on Facebook. It’s an idea I’ve had since I was in college, using the touchscreens here, and so far people love it.”
In addition to the entertainment value, Papavasilopoulos said that the touchscreens have the added benefit of assisting with sales as new desserts and other specials can scroll across the screen while diners are contemplating what to order, tempting them into breaking that pesky diet in the most delicious ways possible.
But the diner’s serving staff is still of the utmost importance.
Sylvia Smith of Hickville first started working at the Plainview Diner one year after it opened in 1972. She has since amassed an impressive 41 years and counting of customer service to the residents of Plainview. Now 84 years young, she seems to possess the vitality of a woman less than half her age while slinging plates of hot food back and forth to customers five days a week.
“What keeps me going is that I just enjoy working here so much,” said Smith. “I love the people, they’re like my family. It’s a family trade here, so that makes it much different than just any old diner. Besides, my mother always told me to keep working and you’ll stay ahead of all your aches and pains!”
Papavasilopoulos expressed his deep affection for his longest-running employee. In fact, as of the diner’s latest renovation two years ago, Smith’s smiling portrait has even been incorporated into the wall artwork.
“She’s like our mascot at this point,” said Papavasilopoulos. “She’s been here longer than anyone else, and I don’t know what we’d do without her.”
The sweeping changes Papavasilopoulos has introduced have served to keep the restaurant squarely on the map; but when the day comes that he finally succeeds his father, he says that the fundamentals that make the Plainview Diner what is today will never be lost.
“My father trusts me; he’s a tough boss, but he knows that I work hard, and I think I’ve worked my way up to running the business some day soon,” he said. “We’ve been here so long, and we’ve become a staple in the town. It’s like they say ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’ so, we’ll keep doing what we do well, but keep doing it better. Plus, maybe we can introduce some new foods, create a little more variety for people. Just enhance the experience, but maintain what keeps bringing people back—the sense of family and of quality.”
So if you want a quality burger with all the trimmings at 1 a.m., the Plainview Diner is the spot for you.
