Sparky’s Diner Celebrates 50 Years

When Carol Stoll’s husband passed away two years ago, she found that, like most people who lose a loved one, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. It was in the middle of this grief that Stoll started going to Sparky’s Diner in Garnerville and swiftly became a part of the not-so-exclusive club that many patrons lovingly call “Sparky’s Adult Day Care Center.” Stoll says she now see the staff and patrons at Sparky’s as her “extended family,” and one who has supported her in showing up exactly as she is, every day. 

We found Stoll tucked into a booth with a pile of girlfriends, some of whom have been coming to Sparky’s for over twenty years. The group was amongst the hundreds of devoted patrons who flowed in and out of the diner on February 13th to wish owner Jeannie Nicolakis a happy 50th anniversary of the diner that is home to thousands of stories just like Stoll’s. From teenagers scarfing down Jeannie’s delicious breakfasts before a game, to patrons who remember the building as a log cabin, to those who come so often they now serve the coffee, every person and every story has a seat at the table at Jeannie’s diner. 

Beyond a diner that has become a staple of the local community, Jeannie has done the arguably even more impressive work of raising triplets who each exemplify the kindness at the root of Sparky’s. While the diner was more packed than a pre-snowstorm Shoprite, Jeannie and her children took the time to individually greet and thank each person who attended the celebration.

Congratulations to fifty years Nicolakis family, and here’s to another fifty!

Sparky’s Diner can be found at 129 Ramapo Road, in Garnerville, opening at 6 a.m. every morning.