Red Hawk Diner Reopens after Pandemic Struggles
Written by wmscweb on February 21, 2022
By Patrina Geiger
Published February 21, 2022
The Red Hawk Diner reopened for in-person dining after two years of being closed due to the pandemic on Feb. 14. Montclair State University had sent out an email announcing this ten days prior on Feb. 4, telling students that they had to make same day reservations in order to dine-in.
The pandemic had a major impact on the diner, causing it to close down due to staff shortages and lack of business. To practice social distancing, the diner is only taking same day reservations which can be made through the GrubHub app, and their menus are QR codes which brings you to the menu on your phone when you scan it.
The Red Hawk Diner reopened for in-person dining after two years of being closed due to the pandemic on Feb. 14. Montclair State University had sent out an email announcing this ten days prior on Feb. 4, telling students that they had to make same day reservations in order to dine-in.
The pandemic had a major impact on the diner, causing it to close down due to staff shortages and lack of business. To practice social distancing, the diner is only taking same day reservations which can be made through the GrubHub app, and their menus are QR codes which brings you to the menu on your phone when you scan it.
The Red Hawk Diner is even bringing back new dining options which include buttermilk pancakes, chicken parmesan sandwiches, baked mac & cheese, crispy chicken sandwiches, turkey and garden burgers, and chicken noodle soup.
The reopening attracted tons of students, many of whom were excited to be able to have another dining option on campus that some have not experienced since the pandemic.
Students walk into the Red Hawk Diner on its first night open for dine-in eating since the beginning of the pandemic. Photo by Michael Arroyo
Terry Dickerson, a sophomore communications and media studies major, was able to visit the diner the night it reopened and was pleased with her experience.
“It was honestly such a great atmosphere,” Dickerson said. “Everyone was laughing, joking around and having a good time, people seemed to be enjoying the food.”
Although the experience was good, Dickerson did have one concern during her visit at the diner: “The milkshake machine was down, and it was a little unfortunate because I was in the mood for a milkshake,” she said.
Dickerson was not the only one missing the diner’s famous milkshakes. Lauren Bentivegna, a junior communications and media arts major, was also disappointed that the diner missed out on a few of her favorites.
“They didn’t have any shakes,” Bentivegna said. “I usually get the French onion soup and they didn’t have that. So that was kind of disappointing”. Bentivegna visited the diner pre-pandemic and does not feel that the diner has improved since then. “I just hope that they’re able to get to the level that they were once back in 2020 because that would be awesome,” she said.
WMSC’s social media news show “On the Fly” had its host Lauren Bentivegna and Erin Lawlor visit the diner to grab a bite and experience the new version of the diner. The following video gives you an inside scoop on Bentivegna and Lawlor’s reviews on the diner.
