After an all-night study session or a night of partying along Main Street, students can stumble over to the Lake Effect Diner, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner 24 hours a day.
Although the diner is new to Buffalo, it has been in existence for 50 years. It was built in 1952 by the Mountain View Corporation. The diner was originally in New Jersey, but was later moved to Pennsylvania where it was turned into a Chinese restaurant. After the Chinese restaurant failed, the diner was close to destruction, but was purchased through a non-profit organization called Diner museum.
The Lake Effect diner, located at 3171 Main St., was founded by Tucker Curtin, owner of The Steer, through the Diner museum and was brought to Buffalo in 2001.
When Curtin purchased the diner, it was still decorated as a Chinese restaurant and he took the challenge of restoring it to its original 1952 decor.
"It is a piece of Americana. There is something authentic about the architecture and the design," said Curtin.
The diner is fully redesigned with a classic American ambience that extends to the early rock music, the all-American dishes and the waitresses, all uniformed in bright pink skirts and aprons.
"It's a very colorful work environment. It's laidback, the people are nice and the food is good," said Jackie Black, a waitress at Lake Effect and a sophomore English major and Spectrum staff writer.
After months of work, the diner was brought back to its original stainless steel pink and yellow motif. When Lake Effect was brought to Buffalo, it was transported in one piece and assembly only consisted of remodeling.
For Curtin, not only was the diner a restoration project, but a business venture. He offers a bar, fine dining and banquets at The Steer, and the Lake Effect diner balances that with an all-night casual menu. According to Curtin, the diner was a necessity for the college community.
"University Heights needed a 24-hour diner. Any other college neighborhood has all night dining for the students," he said.
Lake Effect opened its doors on Oct. 30, to raise money for Cradle Beach Camp and the Gloria J. Parks Community Center. Each organization received $500 from the fundraiser. At noon on Halloween, the diner opened its doors to the public and has been open ever since.
With late-night students, however, safety is always a concern, according to Curtin.
"There is zero tolerance at night," he said. "There is no swearing or acting up. There is a police officer on duty and that makes it nice for everybody."
UB students usually pack the diner during dinner and late nights, while afternoons are left to retirees and quick lunch breaks for area business employees.
The diner is directly across from Talking Leaves Bookstore, which gives the diner a good amount of exposure to UB students being that many students frequent the bookstore for textbooks. It is also only a few blocks away from South Campus.
"I come here because it's open 24 hours and it's across the street from my house," said Jake Neufeld, a media studies major.
Since opening, the diner has been busy with patrons at all times of the day and is convenient for those with no cash and just want a quick bite to eat.
"I'm happy that it's open 24 hours and will take credit cards. I live in University Heights and there have been so many times that I had to go all the way to Niagara Falls Boulevard just to get something to eat," said Alli Mahon, a senior psychology major.
