Landmark Schuylkill diner adapts to changing times in the restaurant business

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — The Manheim Diner, a shiny landmark reminiscent of the 1950s, looks pretty much the same it has for the past 16 years to passersby on Route 61.

Inside, it’s a different story.

Beefy bacon-and-eggs guys are chowing down on Acai and Pitaya bowls and drinking cold-brewed coffee.

The menu has been enlivened with dishes like Cowboy Roast Beef, and Blue Plate specials are streamed on a wall-sized digital video monitor.

Food is served on pastel-colored china. The plain white cafeteria-style plates are history.

And diners are just as likely to hear music by Eagles or The Bee Gees as Elvis or Fats Domino.

Madeline “Maddie” Frew, architect of the changes, insists the Manheim will always retain its nostalgic character.

“We’re just undergoing a little bit of a shift from hard-core Fifties,” she says.

Staff members like to call it a “retro” diner.

Manheim’s update comes as diners and restaurants try to navigate the challenges of a changing industry.

The high cost of foodstuffs, growth of take-outs, competition from food trucks and the changing tastes of younger diners have caused owners to reassess their operations.

The third-generation owners of the Beacon Diner in Hometown, family-owned for 85 years, have put the business up for sale. Lewie’s diner in Frackville permanently closed its doors.

The Wooden Keg, an Irish pub in St. Clair, has ceased operations for renovations.

In a Facebook post, its owners said they’re using the time to transition away from regular dine-in service and focus on catering and hosting private events.

A fresh approach

Maddie Frew, who’s 26, left a position with Quandel Construction Group in Harrisburg to become active in the family business – something she swore she’d never do.

A standout in track and field events at Pine Grove High School and Penn State University, she brings an athlete’s competitive spirit tempered by an instinct for business to the job.

As is customary in the Frew family, Maddie has worked in and around the diner business since she was a teenager.

She’s optimistic about the region’s future, and hopes others her age will follow her lead and come back to their roots.

Dave Frew, 61, Maddie’s father, co-owns the family diner business with his 64-year-old brother, Mark Frew. In addition to Manheim, they own the Pottsville Diner and the Pine Grove Diner.

Initially skeptical, he has come to see the wisdom in his daughter’s design.

“I never thought I’d see 85-year-old guys with an Acai bowl in front of them,” he confided.

“They don’t eat chicken pot pie anymore, now they’re eating yogurt bowls with fruit every morning.”

Madeline, he said, has brought a young person’s perspective to the table.

She saw the handwriting on Manheim’s wall, so to speak, and in short order initiated changes designed to cater to a younger and more feminine clientele, he said.

Frew, a member of the Pine Grove school board, used a young-old analogy to explain the challenge of staying relevant.

“My aunt, Sarah Kramer, comes in here everyday,” he said. “What she eats is significantly different from what a 17-year-old eats.”

Blue Plate specials — served on a blue plate — are on the menu Monday through Friday. Diner staples like Meatloaf, Salisbury steak and Mac&Cheese are priced from $7.99 to $9.99 with one vegetable and slightly higher with two veggies.

A separate laminated mini menu card reflects an appeal to a younger clientele.

Among its suggestions is Boba Tea with strawberry lemonade or blueberry pomegranate flavor, cold brew with sweet cream foam and yogurt parfait. There’s also chocolate peanut butter and lemonberry mini cakes.

Risky business

Head waitress and restaurant manager Terri Robertson, who oversees a staff of 20 waitresses and 15 cooks, says customers have warmed up to the changes.

“They love the new look, the menu, everything right down to the music,” said Robertson, who’s worked in Frew restaurants for 21 years.

“Change is always a little bit scary,” she said, “but if you approach it with patience it goes wonderful.”

Dave Frew, who’s been in business for about 28 years, acknowledged the risk involved in making changes.

“Yes, there’s risk in change, but there’s also a risk in doing nothing,” he said. “The challenge is in balancing the two.”