Silver Diner Leaving Hampton Rds. Market

Silver Diner Leaving Hampton Roads Market

Virginia Beach and Newport News

Restaurants Have Closed, Effective January 1

            Rockville, Maryland-based Silver Diner has closed its final two Hampton Roads restaurants, in Newport News and Virginia Beach, effective January 1, 2012.  The outlets did not reopen for business on January 2.

            “We are proud of the food we served, the employees we hired and the causes we supported over the past 11 years in Hampton Roads,” says Robert Giaimo, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Silver Diner.  “Unfortunately sales never reached sufficient levels to make our stores in southeastern Virginia profitable. Facing higher costs, coupled with landlord complications and the monthly losses we were sustaining, we could no longer continue to operate these locations.”

“Our people are important to us, so we are doing everything we can to help our associates through this difficult period,” says Giaimo. “We are offering them the opportunity to work at one of Silver Diner’s 15 other stores in the greater Washington, D. C. area, Richmond, and Cherry Hill, New Jersey.”

            Silver Diner has placed posters on store doors in Newport News and Virginia Beach alerting guests to the closings and that further information is available on its website (www.silverdiner.com).   Management is contacting groups who have scheduled fund-raisers in Newport News and Virginia Beach to inform them of the closings.  As part of its Eat Well, Do Well initiative to promote better nutrition, Silver Diner will distribute $8,000 in checks to 15 local schools during the month of January.

“It is never a good time to close restaurants, and we recognize that the first of the year is particularly challenging,” says Giaimo.  “The fact that we continue to do well in our other markets is encouraging but does not lessen the pain we feel for our managers and associates in Hampton Roads or for our guests who are losing a favorite dining establishment.”

            For more information, customers or vendors can contact Silver Diner at 866-561-0518.