LEAVENWORTH, Wash. - Joe Cannata dug through the remains of his beloved diner Monday morning, trying to salvage anything he could.
“It's stuff that wouldn't mean much unless you've been to the ‘59er Diner. Then it would mean a lot,” he said.
The ‘59er Diner has meant a lot to countless people over the past 22 years, which makes what happened there Saturday morning all the more awful. A fire in the hood above the kitchen grill got into the old wooden walls. It didn't take long for the entire place to go up.
“This place is an institution,” said neighbor Kim Youngers. “It’s just really sad.”
The '59er was wallpapered with family photos and filled with 1950s memorabilia. All of the waitresses were called "Flo" and the milkshakes were known across the Northwest. Customers sucked down 40,000 of them last year alone. Located on Highway 2 just west of Lake Wenatchee, the diner was a landmark for travelers and a regular stop for vacationing families traveling to Leavenworth or Lake Chelan.
“This was the milkshake place,” said Youngers. “I can’t believe it’s gone.”
Built as a tavern in 1945, the building became a diner in 1994. Photos of locals from the past 70 years decorated the walls. One picture salvaged Monday was that of Joe Canatta’s dad on his prom night in 1956. Cannata believes it was the personal nature of the place that made the ‘59er so special, and brought people back year after year.
A steady stream of people stopped by to take pictures Monday. Even in the midst of their crisis, Cannata and one of the “Floes” came out to comfort heartsick customers. At times, it was tough to tell who was consoling whom.
“It's a family, and it's amazing to be on the receiving side of this family,” said Cannata, wiping away tears. “I’m truly blessed. This is unbelievable.”
Cannata said he plans to rebuild the diner, hoping to be open again by next summer. He called it his "responsibility."
“Because every day it makes someone's day. It makes people feel good. How can I not rebuild?”
