A family-owned diner has a second location at a former Pizza Hut.
Smiley’s Diner recently opened on Christiana Road near the exit for Route 273 and I-95.
It is the second diner for a family who owns the former Sage Diner on Veale Road in north Wilmington. The Veale location was also a Pizza Hut.
The Ogletown location underwent extensive renovations. North Wilmington’s Sage has been rebranded as Smiley’s.
Smiley’s is listed as being open around the clock, a relative rarity in northern Delaware, although the nearby Denny’s has operated 24-7 for decades.
Pizza Hut is exiting the sit-down dining business in favor of carry outs. It continues to operate a restaurant in the Prices Corner area west of Wilmington and Elsmere.
Smiley ’s menu features a large Jersey-Delaware-style menu, with a wide range of offerings.
Details regarding the diner remained a mystery for months after owners first erected a tall sign with the diner ’s name and then spent months renovating the restaurant space. They also did not use social media teases that are commonly used to promote new dining spots.
In addition to the longtime Denny’s location, Smiley’s will go head-on-head with Metro Diner, which opened off Ogletown Road at a former Wawa location.
Metro Diner is preparing to open its second area location in Middletown next month. Metro Diner has more of a southern touch with fewer offerings and shorter hours. The food is a reflection of the restaurant chain’s first location in Jacksonville, FL.
Diners, a New Jersey and Philadelphia area mainstay, have gained popularity in recent years. Metro Diner gained a degree of fame when it was featured in the popular Food Network show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Delaware has many diners, although some, like the Post House, ChesDel in St. Georges, and Kirby and Holloway in Dover, have faded from the scene.
