Daddypops Diner – A Touch of New England in Hatboro, PA

Daddypops Diner may be in Pennsylvania, but to Mod Betty it is like a visit back home to some of her favorite New England diners.

Though built in New Jersey (it’s a Mountain View, built in Singac, NJ) its 1953 birth-year means it is a human-scale diner, seating about 60 max, not one of those huge Jersey diner/restaurants. And this size of diner is just right, in my book!

The diner has been a Hatboro fixture since 1953, but it has been owned for the past 30 years by Ken Smith, who bought the diner in 1987 (along with his wife Beth, who has since passed.)

Ken himself is from New England, which is perhaps why there are so many details familiar to Mod B.

The “Only Open for Breakfast and Lunch” hours, and the “Baked beans as a breakfast side” are two things that just scream home.

Though the diner is classic stainless steel on the outside, on the inside it is a bit more rustic, with wood panels, booths and counter stools. This is softened a bit with a touch of wallpaper towards the ceiling and green gingham curtains. The mirrored wall in front of the Seeburg jukebox gives the diner a more open feeling than its small size determines.

And speaking of the jukebox, you can entertain yourself by noticing all of the vintage ephemera decorating the diner, including two vintage barber chairs that double as corner counter seats.

If you're a local you just might have your own mug in the coffee nook. The mugs outside of the mug, along the top, are memorials to locals who are no longer with us. What a nice touch.

I'm planning on adding a Retro Roadmap mug to the nook so all of us Retro Roadmappers can feel like we're regulars whenever we visit Daddypops! I'll update everyone when it's there, and don't forget to share a photo of you using it when YOU visit the diner!