Silver Diner - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Silver Diner is about good, fresh food, Healthy and Hearty, the choice is yours. To deliver the best products, Chef Ype Von Hengst buys fresh and local whenever possible. Silver Diner has partnered with award winning local farms that support sustainable agriculture. Locations are in the eastern United States (Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

), with corporate headquarters in Rockville, Maryland

Rockville, Maryland

Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...

. Silver Diner is proud to be a key part of the local community, nurturing it’s growth, providing food for healthier lifestyles, and supporting local schools and non-profits. Silver Diner’s Fresh & Local menu features all day breakfast, 600-calorie entrees, gluten free and vegetarian selections, classic and healthier shakes, and more.

History

In 1988, Silver Diner co-founders Robert Giaimo and Chef Ype Von Hengst sought to establish an American family cuisine restaurant that bridged the gap between fast food chains and tablecloth restaurants. Giaimo grew up going to diners

Diners

Diners can mean:* Diners Club International, a credit card company* plural of "diner", see Diner * Diners are type of North American restaurant...

, which had always occupied a special place in his heart. With a lifelong passion and interest in diners serving as the ‘neighborhood gathering place’, Giaimo and Von Hengst spent a year visiting more than 500 diner-styled restaurants in small towns and large cities across the country. Their objective was to better understand how the classic American diner had been successful for more than 100 years.

Giaimo and Von Hengst knew that the unique roadside architecture and generous helpings of home-styled food had always been part of the widespread appeal of diners. They understood there was something special about diners - uniquely American, democratic institutions where the very look of the building on the outside – a shiny beacon, invites people in for diverse fare, including everything from homemade pie to a Bison burger. Giaimo and Von Hengst sought to recreate that authenticity and define the next generation diner. Silver Diner now has the same nostalgic atmosphere complete with tabletop jukeboxes and cozy booths and a menu focused on providing healthier, fresh, and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

In 1989, Giaimo and Von Hengst opened the original Silver Diner in Rockville, Maryland

Rockville, Maryland

. Today, this original location boasts annual sales of $6 million and remains one of the busiest restaurants of its size in the United States.
It is the largest chain of diners in America with the highest average sales per store of its kind. Silver Diner Development, Inc. now operates 17 restaurants in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States with locations in New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, and employs more than 1,100 people.

In 2007, Silver Diner established its first airport location with the opening of its sixteenth restaurant in the AirMall

AirMall

AirMall USA is a developer and manager of retail, food and beverage concessions at various US airports. Originally owned by BAA USA, and now owned by the New york based investment company Prospect Capital Corporation....

at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). The Silver Diner Airport at BWI includes a broad and diverse entrée selection featuring American classics, all-day breakfast, a classic American retro bar, and take-out options designed to cater to the airline passenger on the fly. In 2009, Metro Diner Café by Silver Diner opened in Annapolis, Maryland. Operating on a smaller footprint than the Silver Diner Classic freestanding restaurants, METRO uses fresh and local ingredients to serve America's favorite foods for today's on-the-go lifestyles.

Food Philosophy

Silver Diner is about good, fresh food, Healthy and Hearty, the choice is yours. To deliver you the best products, we buy fresh & local whenever we can. We have partnered with award winning local farms that support sustainable agriculture.
Co-founder and Executive Chef of Silver Diner, Ype von Hengst has designed the Silver Diner’s fresh and local menu with the mission of providing healthier, fresh and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

“It is important to me to support local farmers and to help build our local economy. It is also important that I feed my guests the best products; fresh & local food has better flavor and is the best quality,” – Chef Ype.

To support this effort, Chef Ype introduced local farmers to Silver Diner patrons through weekend farmer's markets right outside of select Silver Diner locations during the summer. Guests have the opportunity to pick out fresh producs from local farms before or after they dine.

Produce from Local Farms when in season
Farm Fresh Eggs from Martin Farms, Lancaster, PA
All Natural Milk from Kreider Farms, Lancaster, PA
Creekstone Farm's, Grass fed, Grain finished never EVER any antibiotics Black Angus Beef
Gunpowder Farm's, Dry Aged Local Bison
Nitrate-Free bacon and local sausage
Hormone Free All Natural Meats
Certified Black Angus Steaks
Agave sweetened fruit toppings
600 Calorie Entrée Choices & Gluten-free diet
Gluten-free diet
A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat , barley, rye, malts and triticale. It is used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often as "dextrin"...

Choices
Local & Natural Multigrain Breads
Local Craft Beer & Wine, VA
All-Natural Simply Orange
Simply Orange
The Simply Orange Juice Company is an Apopka, Florida-based company that was founded in 2001 and is currently a brand of The Coca-Cola Company. They make a number of not-from-concentrate orange and other fruit juices that are sold chilled in a distinctly shaped plastic bottle...

Juice
All Pancakes made with All-Natural, unbleached flour

In the Community

Silver Diner is proud to be a key part of the community, nurturing its growth, providing food for healthier lifestyles and supporting our local schools and non-profits

Eat Well, Do Well:

The Eat Well, Do Well program has captured Silver Diner’s vision to better our local communities by providing schools with the resources they need to promote healthier eating and active lifestyles. ‘Eat Well, Do Well’ is a rewards club which combines frequency rewards with donations to local schools. Cardholders earn benefits by using their card in-store, and have the opportunity to link their card to an enrolled local school. By linking their card to a school, a percentage of what they spend in any of our restaurants is donated to their school of choice to help improve nutrition and fitness programs. Since September, 2010, Silver Diner has donated over $125,000 to local schools through the Eat Well, Do Well program!

Leading the Way for Healthier Kids:

Silver Diner is committed to supporting healthier kids and the fight against childhood obesity. As a community leader, Silver Diner has taken key steps to promote healthier lifestyles for kids. In addition to creating the EAT WELL, DO WELL program designed specifically to improve nutrition and fitness programs in local schools, Silver Diner’s kids menu’s entrée choices include healthier selections, gluten-free and vegetarian options. The kids menu was designed to illustrate kids eating healthier and being active. and activities on the menu teach about nutrition and fitness. In 2011, Silver Diner was chosen as an inaugural leader for the National Restaurant Association

National Restaurant Association

thumb|National Restaurant Association logoThe National Restaurant Association is a restaurant industry business association in the United States, representing more than 380,000 restaurant locations. It also operates the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation...

's "Kids LiveWell" initiative promoting healthier selections on kids menus across the country.

Media

USA Today

Nation's Restaurant News

WUSA9

Executive Profiles

Robert Giaimo
Co-founder, President and CEO

Robert Giaimo co-founded Silver Diner, Inc. with Chef Ype Von Hengst in 1989, the largest chain of diners

Diners

Diners can mean:* Diners Club International, a credit card company* plural of "diner", see Diner * Diners are type of North American restaurant...

in America. Giaimo grew up going to diners, and they have always occupied a special place in his heart. He has always seen them as a neighborhood gathering place where there is something for everyone at any time of the day and night.

Giaimo, a native New Yorker, moved to Washington, DC to pursue his undergraduate education at Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

and Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

's Smaller Company Management Program in 1982. In 1971, as a freshman at Georgetown, Giaimo developed Monolith Enterprises, Inc., which opened and operated the Blimpie

Blimpie

Blimpie is a submarine sandwich chain in the United States. The company is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.The first Blimpie store was opened in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1964. . By mid-2002, there were about 2,000 Blimpie outlets in operation, located in 47 U.S...

s in Georgetown – the first Blimpies franchise outside of New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, which immediately became the busiest in the chain. Giaimo graduated from Georgetown University Business School in 1974 and continued to operate the Blimpies until 1976.

Prior to developing the Silver Diner concept, Giaimo founded and served as President of American Café Restaurants – an innovative, award-winning, seven-unit restaurant chain that was an east coast pioneer in founding the “American Cuisine” movement and included five gourmet markets and catering service. In 1985, Giaimo sold the American Café to the W.R. Grace and Company.

Giaimo was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, Inc. Magazine and Merrill Lynch

Merrill Lynch

Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...

. He is active in the community as he has chaired the Muscular Dystrophy Association

Muscular Dystrophy Association

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is an American organization which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the general public...

for several years and serves as a senior advisor on their board. A long-term board member of the Young Presidents' Organization

Young Presidents' Organization

The Young Presidents’ Organization is a global network of young chief executives. With approximately 18,000 members in more than 100 countries, YPO and its graduate organization, WPO share a founding mission: Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange....

, Giaimo is currently a member of the World President’s Organization.

Giaimo also lends his time and talents serving on the Board of Washington’s Muscular Dystrophy Association and the OneVoice Movement

OneVoice Movement

OneVoice is a non profit organization and citizen activism movement working in Israel and the Palestinian territories to achieve a two-state solution through non-violent means...

, a grass-roots organization that promotes peaceful solutions to the conflict in the Middle East.

Ype Von Hengst
Co-founder and Vice President of Culinary Operations

Executive Chef Ype Von Hengst is a Co-Founder, alongside President and CEO Bob Giaimo, of the Silver Diner. Ype also serves as the Vice President of Culinary Operations, Member of the Board of Directors, Director of Purchasing and Director of Quality Control at the Silver Diner. In addition to his managerial roles, Ype is primarily responsible for the development of all menu selections. After co-founding Silver Diner, Inc. with Giaimo in 1989, Ype has developed hundreds of seasonal specials and new menu items to ensure Silver Diner’s selections continually reflect the trends and changes in consumer tastes and preferences.

Prior to co-founding Silver Diner, Ype served as executive chef for the Washington, D.C. Metro Area American Cafes, where Ype first met and worked with Giaimo. Ype also worked as a partner and general manager for Dominique’s on Pennsylvania Avenue, Stouffer’s Hotels, Hilton Hotels

Hilton Hotels

Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...

and Radisson Hotels

Radisson Hotels

Radisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...

. He served as executive chef and corporate chef for Restaurant Associates at Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...

in New York City, where he oversaw a dozen premier New York restaurants and is credited with the development of the restaurant’s highly successful original menu.

Ype received his training as an apprentice in some of Europe’s finest restaurants. Born in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, Ype discovered his passion for food while cooking for his family at the age of seven. His time spent in the garden and in the kitchen has led to a lifelong career of cooking and helping others live a healthier life.

Committed and dedicated to living a healthy life, Ype has competed in the Marine Corps Marathon and pairs healthy eating with weightlifting every day. With two culinary medals, Chef Ype has cooked for the likes of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

, President Reagan and the Rolling Stones. Above all of his successes in life, Ype considers his biggest accomplishment his relationship with his wife and being a father to his two children.

In January 2007, Ype revolutionized dining in the DC area when the Silver Diner became the first chain restaurant to eliminate the use of trans-fats from the menus of all its locations. Response from customers was overwhelmingly positive, so Ype used this momentum when creating the menu for METRO. Preparing meals with less fat, lighter sauces, and locally sourced or organic ingredients (when available), METRO offers American favorites with a healthier edge for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night.

The changes that he has made on a professional level for his guests have also paid off for Chef Ype on a personal note. Over the period eight months, he dropped more than 30 pounds thanks to increased physical activity (weightlifting and daily “boot camp”) and a well-balanced diet. Chef Ype did this to train for his first-ever Marine Corps Marathon, which he completed in October 2008.

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