The Diner or Something Like It

The picture to the left is of a Zesto’s on Peidmont Road, across the street from the Lindbergh Center MARTA station/multi-use development. I am not sure of the exact date of construction, but I would guess the 1950s. The building shape itself is rather plain; it more or less resembles a decorated shed. It is a rectangular shape with lots of embellishment. There are several elements of the Exaggerated Modern style present in the design. The roof has the shape of an elongated V and although there are not lots of flashing lights, there is an abundance of flashy materials. The metal on the roof and the decorative brick-work are very visible from the road. There is also a neon sign (not visible in this picture) that incorporates the ice cream cone motif that continues onto the posts on the patio. The tropical/desert landscaping out front also draws attention to the restaurant, as it does not correspond to the somewhat industrial and metropolitan appearance of everything else around it. On the inside, the diner feel continues, with rows of booths lining the walls and stools at the counter. The shiny metal is also present on the interior decorations.

The Waffle House, pictured on the right, is another example of a diner-esque restaurant. This particular Waffle House is on Mountain Industrial Boulevard in Tucker, just outside a Sam’s Club. I believe this restaurant was constructed sometime in the 1980s or 1990s, but it may be newer than that, being constructed sometime in the early 2000s at about the same time as the strip development to the right. The design of this diner is simpler than the Zesto’s, with less flash and color, but with just as much if not more appeal. The large sign, half of which appears in the upper-right hand corner of the photograph, is tall and large enough to be seen from far away (and from the highway less than half a mile away), while the large yellow roof catches the eye of people passing by at shorter distances. The large windows on the front and side of the building allow passers-by to see all the people inside enjoying their waffles (available any time of the day as any good Waffle House fan would know) and listening to the juke box. The inside has much more of a diner appearance than the Zesto’s, at least in terms of how the later diners were described by Liebs. There are booths along all the exterior walls (and a few along the counter); there are also some stools/chairs that run along the remainder of the counter, so you can watch the cooks make your scattered, smothered and covered hashbrowns on the griddle that runs along the fourth exterior wall. The colors are rather drab, but the customers don’t seem to mind.

This Waffle House has the major design elements of every other Waffle House, and it fits with the location (note the cinder block façade on the rear of the building that fits in with many of the nearby industrial buildings). The design of the Zesto’s more than likely fit with what was originally nearby, but with the new development that lines Peidmont in this area, the restaurant seems a little out of place; this does however make it more noticeable when driving down the road. Both of these restaurants are also located on well traveled roads so they serve their purpose of being a quick and easy place to grab a bite to eat.