PLAINS, Pa. — The open sign is on in the window of D's Diner in Plains Township.
Sheldon Block's morning routine is finally getting back to 'normal' for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.
"Get up, clean up, and come here and have my breakfast. Everything is really good here; I love their coffee. I love coming here. I love the people," explained Block.
While D's Diner was closed because of the pandemic in May, thieves broke in, stole the restaurant's ATM, and caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage.
The owner Dan DeMellier said finally being open even with restrictions is a relief.
"We've been prepping for today, we opened at seven, and we've had a good crowd so far we've been steady all morning," said DeMellier.
DeMellier added he has learned his lesson and has now placed the ATM outside of the diner.
The people who dropped the new ATM said the casing alone weighs 800 pounds, and it is bolted into the ground.
"If anyone decides to do this again, we don't want the damage again that occurred to the building to save the expenses and the downtime on reopening," explained DeMellier.
Debbie and Ken Hillman came in on the diner's opening day for breakfast.
They own and operate a restaurant too; they said running a business in the pandemic is hard enough without dealing with break-ins and new construction.
"It was just one hurdle after another, and I can't imagine what D's Diner went through, especially when this is going on and the break-in and all the damage that was done. We love this place. We come here every Friday night after we close our place to eat and we love it, it's great," said Debbie.
"It's important, and as a business owner, it's important to support other business owners, too," added Ken.
The diner has indoor and outdoor seating available and is open 24 hours a day.
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