Tastee Diner, a beloved Silver Spring landmark, closed its doors permanently on March 22, 2021, after more than seven decades of serving the community. The diner's legacy, however, lives on through an auction of its contents that provides an opportunity to own a piece of history.
The diner was sold on March 21 to Roadside Development, a Washington D.C.-based company, for $3.1 million. The contents of the restaurant, from artwork to photographs, tables, chairs, and booths, are currently being auctioned. This is a rare opportunity for fans of the diner to bring home a piece of nostalgia.
Roadside Development purchased the adjacent Capital One bank lot back in August and plans on creating a "multifamily mixed-use" redevelopment at the two sites. However, the company has announced that the original dining car from the Tastee Diner will be incorporated into the future project, preserving a piece of the diner's history.
Tastee Diner opened its Silver Spring location on the corner of Wayne Avenue and Georgia Avenue in 1946. It served as a gathering place for the community for 65 years until it faced closure and demolition to make way for Silver Spring's Discovery Building in 2011. Local residents rallied to save and move the diner to the location it occupied until its recent closure.
The closure of Tastee Diner marks the end of an era, but its legacy lives on through the memories of its patrons and the items up for auction. It is an opportunity to own a piece of Silver Spring's history and to keep the spirit of the diner alive.
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