{"id":89289,"date":"2022-03-29T07:56:22","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T11:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/?p=89289"},"modified":"2022-03-30T10:11:37","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T14:11:37","slug":"harris-diner-a-village-favorite-for-40-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2022\/03\/29\/harris-diner-a-village-favorite-for-40-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Harris Diner; A village favorite for 40 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Step inside Harris Diner, located at 79 North Ave. in Owego, N.Y. and you immediately feel welcome. It\u2019s a step-back-in-time, classic-style diner featuring a counter with stools, several cozy tables, and the distinct aroma of fresh coffee.<\/p>\n

The walls, adorned with family photos and numerous pictures of baseball\u2019s iconic players, along with nostalgic memorabilia like a handmade replica of the diner, add to the home-like atmosphere.   <\/p>\n

The diner has been a gathering place in the community for decades. Locals start arriving as early as 5:30 a.m. during the week, and a few even have a key. In fact, the coffee might already be brewing by the time the owner and waitress get there.        <\/p>\n

March 15 marked 40 years at Harris Diner for owner Sam Harris. His customers are like family, he said, adding, \u201cI just love people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sam\u2019s parents, Ted and Louise Harris, who brought the Harris family into the diner business when Sam was growing up with his four brothers, instilled that sincerity. In 1970, Ted opened the Coffee Brake Diner on Route 96 in Catatonk, and that continued until Ted\u2019s passing in 1979.  The family carried on Ted\u2019s dream, and then fast forward a few years when Sam stepped into running his own diner on North Avenue in Owego.<\/p>\n

Taking a quick step back in time, the Conway\u2019s Club Diner was previously housed in what is now the Harris Diner. When the owners wanted to sell, Sam got up to bat. <\/p>\n

The menu, Sam said, hasn\u2019t changed too much over the years, and where traditional fare is served. Breakfast food is a customer favorite, as are the stellar pies.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Sam\u2019s mother, affectionately known as the \u201cPie Lady,\u201d prepared them from scratch for years, and worked at the diner until age 90. Louise passed away in 2019, and her photo now rests in a frame for all to see. <\/p>\n

\"Harris<\/a>

Harris Diner, located at 79 North Ave. in Owego, N.Y., celebrated their 40th anniversary on March 15. Pictured are owner Sam Harris and long-time employee, Melissa Cotton. (JoAnn R. Walter photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

Today, long-time Harris Diner server, Melissa Cotton, was passed the baton to be Pie Lady #2, and after 17 years has become part of the extended family. She said she wouldn\u2019t want to work anyplace else.<\/p>\n

Like others in Owego, the Harris Diner weathered the 2011 flood with about ten feet of water in the basement, and another two feet inside the restaurant area.    A number of people helped get Harris Diner up and running again, and after the remarkable rebuild that took about three months, Sam was one of the first back open for business. <\/p>\n

And, the customers eventually came back, as they have, too, after the COVID shutdown in 2020.  Sam attributes a lot of it to the connections he has made through the years, and that people do gravitate back to familiar, friendly establishments where they feel welcome and part of the family.<\/p>\n

As you wait for your order, take notice of shelves filled with vintage and amusing coffee mugs. Melissa explained that the mugs are set-aside for the regulars who frequent the diner. From a mug that shouts out, \u201cI\u2019m Having a Bad Hair Day\u201d to another with the message, \u201cHug a Firefighter,\u201d the mugs symbolize yet another level of community connection.    <\/p>\n

\"Harris<\/a>

Shelves of mugs await the many regulars who frequent the Harris Diner in Owego. The friendly, family-oriented restaurant has been connected to the community for 40 years. (JoAnn R. Walter photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

A New York Yankees fan since he was in grade school, Sam points out a photo of his favorite player, Mickey Mantle. On another wall is a photo of the Owego Free Academy baseball team, posing in front of the old Elm Street junior high school. A baseball player since his early days, too, Sam graduated from Owego Free Academy in 1966.  He was drafted into the U.S. Army not long after, and served in Panama from 1968 to 1970.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next after 40 years? Sam says he\u2019ll keep going, and he hopes the regulars continue stopping in, while he always welcomes new customers. Sam remarked that tourists often stop by, too, while they are visiting Owego.<\/p>\n

Harris Diner, located near the Historic Owego Fire Station, is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon. <\/p>\n

For information, you can call the diner at <\/b>(607) 687-6689, or just stop in and say hello!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Step inside Harris Diner, located at 79 North Ave. in Owego, N.Y. and you immediately feel welcome. 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