Here are some great photos of a newly painted Phil’s Diner with beautifully stained oak window frames and new windows!!!  The diner is now prepped to have the name PHILS DINER painted across the front once again.

Isn’t she looking georgeous?????

 Here’s a look at the backside and another great angle of the windows in front. 

In this process we have learned two sayings to be very true.

Phil's Diner would like to encourage you to make a small (or big) lifestyle change today in honor of Earth Day.  Here's a little insight on the future operation of the diner and the good old fashioned values that Phil's Diner is holding onto. 

What we do and why

Buy local: Buying within 200 (preferable) or 500 miles means that the food is fresher. Environmental benefit: less oil is used in transporting the food, which translates to fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Pesticide free: “Certified Organic” produce is generally sold at a premium price but there are many transitional farmers that are “pesticide free” and some are working toward their certification.  This allows us to purchase wonderful vegetables at a reasonable price.  Environmental benefit: No chemical pesticides polluting the air, the water table, and your body.

Cage free/ hormone/antibiotic free: Animals that are under less stress actually taste better because they aren’t full of the hormones that animals naturally release under stressful conditions.  Plus we feel way better knowing that the animals are humanely treated and healthy.  Environmental benefit: No hormones or antibiotics to pollute the water table or your body and a healthier environment for the animals.

Compostable take-out containers:  So you know that when you throw something “away” it doesn’t disappear into thin air, right?  There is no “away”. That’s why we are choosing to use biodegradable products that will breakdown.  Environmental benefit: Fewer single use plastic spoon that last 700 years in the landfill and no petroleum is used in the manufacturing of compostables.

Minimize waste:  Minimizing waste by using as much of the ingredients as possible saves money and helps us keep costs down for our customers.  The restoration of Phil’s Diner is a good example of reuse, which is a big way to minimize waste. Also, by using a trash compacter we use fewer trash bags and require fewer dumpster pickups. Environmental benefit: Less waste = less consumption = less pollution

Support fair-trade:  Some things like coffee and tea are just not very likely to be grown locally for an economical price.  So we want to support those operations that take good care of their employees to ensure that we are not contributing to the social injustices that are often associated with importing.  Social benefit: Fair treatment and better quality of life for hard working farm workers.

Balance: A little oil, a little butter, and a little salt and pepper makes good food taste even better.  We don’t have a problem with cream, or cheese, or mash potatoes and meatloaf.  However, we encourage you to eat more veggies than anything else and we try to help you eat more whole grains in place of white flour.  Social benefit: The less your food is processed, the more nutritional value it has for your body.  The more nutrients you get, the fewer calories you need to consume and that is one of the biggest keys to maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy body. 

What we don’t do

We don’t preach: It’s not our way or the highway . . . but the more you’re around us, the more you will learn.

No Styrofoam: Like plastic, this is a material that keeps on giving . . . giving off chemicals that is.  We don’t use it because it is a big polluter both in production and in its life, which literally never ends.

No to factory farming: Too many reasons to mention here but we encourage you to do your own research. 

Skimp:  We will never skimp on flavor because we want you to leave Phil’s Diner Fresh n Fast feeling satisfied so that you will return again and again.

Make every day a Happy Earth Day when you eat at Phil's Diner! 

Photos of our progress: Shoring up the walls of the diner 

The abatement of the lead paint has been successfully completed.  Take a look at the shots taken while that was underway.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, Film Industry Craftsmen Johnny Mazzola and Ed Bowen have been hired to undertake the restoration portion of this project.  They started by shoring up the walls of the diner.

The next day they tackled the roof by peeling off what seemed like six layers of roofing.  Here's a beautiful early morning shot of the guys starting work on the roof as the sun rises on the diner.

Day three the "non-historic" wall was removed and Robert Chattel, Historic Preservation Architect, came to review the proposed process for the first phase. Later this week Lambert Giessinger, Historic Preservation Architect for the City of Los Angeles will also be out to review the process.

One more bit of exciting news . . . We reached out to Huell Howser of California's Gold and he contacted us with interest in doing a story on Phil's Diner once we're up and running.  Thanks Huell! 

LEAD PAINT REMOVED FROM THE REAR PANELS OF THE DINER 

We are happy to announce that Resource Environmental, Inc. has begun the process of toxics removal on the exterior of the diner.  Their expertise is required in the safe removal of lead paint, which is the first stage of the diner restoration process.

Film Industry Craftsman, Johnny Mazzola and Ed Bowen, who have shown great interest in the diner throughout this process, have been contracted to do the restoration work on the diner once the toxics removal is complete.  We are so excited to have them working on the project!

Additionally, we have secured our team of engineers and had our first collaborative meeting to discuss next steps.  Our team consists of Structural Engineer, Avi Khedekar, Civil Engineer, Nick Ayoub, Architect, Welton Becket and Electrical Engineer, Jeff Seymour. The meeting concluded with a unified goal of delivering all the required elements to the architect within two weeks, which will enable him to generate a full set of construction plans.

Despite the many delays that we have experienced along the way, we continue to see progress.  At times it has felt as if we took three steps forward and two steps back.  With that said, we continue to push forward toward re-opening the doors of this neighborhood cornerstone.  How sweet the Grand Opening will be! J

• Sloan Cooper, Resource Environmental, Inc. www.resourceconstruction.com
• Restoration: Johnny Mazzola (805) 256-0129, Ed Bowen (208) 651-1631
• Structural Engineer, Avi Khedekar, novastruct@aol.com
• Civil Engineer, Nick Ayoub, NA & Associates, Inc. (949) 753-0600
• Architect, Welton Becket, weltbecket@aol.com Electrical Engineer, Jeff Seymour (714) 505-1977