Summit Diner Awarded $50K Grant for Historic Preservation

In a remarkable 24-hour turnaround, the Summit Diner secured a $50,000 grant for exterior restoration, thanks to the swift action of Summit Downtown, Inc. Nancy Adams, Executive Director of Summit Downtown, Inc., coordinated the application process after Mayor Fagan and Councilwoman Hamlet alerted her to the opportunity.

“I had just one day to pull everything together,” Adams said. “I worked with the diner’s owners and gathered information online to submit in time. I was thrilled my application was successful!”

The grant was awarded through the Partners in Preservation: Main Streets program, a collaboration between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, supporting the revitalization of historic small businesses across the country.

Tom Conway of Kelly, Rosen, Conway Architects, also based in downtown Summit, is assisting in coordinating the project and evaluating how much of the diner’s exterior can be restored before the grant’s completion deadline of Jan. 31, 2026, though extensions are possible if needed.

The diner has deep roots in the Summit community.

Before the Greberis family took ownership in 1964, the Tombros family ran the diner. Carole “Calimera” Frederick, a Summit native and SHS Class of 1964 alum, recalled growing up with the Tombros family: “I knew her entire family – very good and hard-working people.” Frederick was also born and raised in Summit, as was her mother, and her Cardone family had been longtime residents of the town. “We have all moved on now, but my heart still belongs to Summit,” she said in a recent reflection.

The diner also serves as the headquarters for one of Summit’s leading charitable organizations, the Other Fellow First Foundation. The foundation has supported local families in times of need and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this November, when it will host its 18th Annual Frozen Turkey Drive. Last year, the organization set an all-time record, as reported by TAPinto Summit.