Depew Courier/ Friday, November 28, 2014
1
-DEPEW-
Come visit our website for specials:
wizardgoesgreen.com
“Natural Gas. Your Best Energy Value.”
694-8524
The “Wizard” of Comfort.
CIRCULATION 7,284
NOVEMBER 28, 2014
Aunt Robin’s Diner opens, holds Thanksgiving buffet By Amy Robb
THE LANCASTER SUN CORRESPONDENT
Aunt Robin’s Diner celebrated its grand opening Nov. 15 and 16 at 3580 Walden Ave. in Lancaster, formerly Uncle Tom’s Diner. Robin Finsterbach, the diner’s namesake, has worked in food service since she was 14, and worked as a line cook for the past 10 years. “I was Tom’s cook for five to six months before he announced he was closing. I talked with my husband and we decided to take it over,” said Finsterbach. David, her husband, and her two children Bridget and Christopher were all very supportive of her decision
to take over the diner, especially David. He works a full time job, and on top of that helps Robin at the diner when he gets out, helping to clean and close out the diner every night. The kids help out with the diner on the weekends. Now that’s family dedication. The passion and work ethic extends to the food served. “We have specials every day, breakfast and lunch four days a week, and dinner three days a week. All the food is homemade. Mac and cheese, chili, all of it is made in-house. A lot of comfort food,” remarked Finsterbach. Comfort food, along with a comforting setting, is what Finsterbach always wanted
to do, while at the same time being her own boss. She has been a part of the restaurant business for 26 years, and thought it was the right time to take the next step, but on her own terms. She goes on to say she has always wanted her own diner because it’s more personable. It’s small enough where she can do all her own cooking, instead of having to instruct other cooks. “It wouldn’t be as consistent,” she said, of having other cooks make her food. Finsterbach does have one line cook though, to help with the prep and support her during the busiest times. The close knit feel of a diner not only lets Finsterbach have direct contact with the
100 FREE GUITARS! Your Choice - Electric or Acoustic Call & Register Now! 239-3907
Fender, Ibanez & Takamine Guitars Available
Performing Arts is Giving Away 100 Full Sized Guitars from Now Until Christmas... .
Purchase 3 Months of Guitar Lessons & We Give You The Guitar! NEW STUDENTS ONLY
Various Sizes & Colors Available While Supplies Last!
Lessons in All Instruments, Voice, Drama & Drawing. Home of Rock Band 101 & MineCraft Convention!
Convention - 1st & 3rd Saturday of Each Month • 12:00 - 1:00pm
A Place To Roc k, Roll & row PeformingArtsMusic.com G
5334 Transit Rd., Depew, NY (near Broadway) • 239-3907
PHOTOS BY AMY ROBB
Aunt Robin’s Diner offers homemade food and a welcoming atmosphere. food she serves, but it also allows her a special relationship with the people she sees on a daily basis. A lot of the people that frequent Aunt Robin’s Diner are elderly, without the means to make hot meals for themselves. They’ve also built relationships with the other regulars at the diner as well as the owners, creating a unique community centered around good food. W h e n S n o w v e m b e r ’s storm buried the area in 6 feet of snow, Aunt Robin’s closed for four days. That was a great cause for concern for Finsterbach herself, who knew a lot of her customers were probably stuck at home
without a hot meal to keep them warm. Thankfully, everyone made it through okay, and the diner opened this past Sunday for breakfast. In addition, Aunt Robin’s Diner hosted its own Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Tickets went so fast, that those interested were encouraged to call ahead to secure a ticket or stop by to pick it up. The dinner had all the Thanksgiving fixings, with a buffet for side dishes and turkey, along with coffee and dessert served after. According to Finsterbach, the diner had a very generous man and his wife donate $100 worth of dinners, which were given out to those less for-
tunate. With the help of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and a local church in the neighborhood, the diner reached out to individuals that would benefit the most from the food and company. “[We] figured that people that didn’t have any family can come in and eat with us,” Finsterbach said. Aunt Robin’s Diner will be doing a dinner for Christmas too, so stay tuned on their Facebook page for details or call 948-9361. Diner hours are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.