Restaurateurs David and Lesley Cohn recently packed up their yellow Corvette and moved the popular ’50s-style Corvette Diner — and all the eatery’s famed nostalgia — to Liberty Station in Point Loma. The diner’s namesake sports car has been repainted turquoise to match the reborn diner’s décor. According to the Cohns, the diner was moved because the lease was up at the former Hillcrest site and parking continued to be as issue. “In the early ’80s, the Hillcrest business district was a redevelopment area and parking wasn’t such an issue,” said David Cohn. But since then, “people complained about parking every single day for 22 years.” The new location inside the former Naval Training Center (NTC) Officer’s Club at 2965 Historic Decatur Road offers more than 1,000 free parking spaces within a two-block area. Located just inside the northeast entrance, the diner sits directly across from the Sail-Ho golf course. Although the new location is twice the size of the Hillcrest site, seating will be limited to 300 patrons. The Cohns made certain to include plenty of room for all the wonderful and familiar signs customers have enjoyed for years. Cohn said Liberty Station was an attractive choice because “you can’t find buildings with character and historical significance [in something] like … strip malls.” The building was built in 1923 and is designated NTC Building #24. It remains historically intact. Cohn hopes guests will share their experiences of the old club. “We want the building to continue to be part of people’s lives,” David Cohn said, adding that he has relocated his restaurant group’s headquarters to Liberty Station. The new diner will include a full bar, private meeting rooms and a state-of-the-art arcade room called The Gamer’s Garage, described as a compromise between Chuck E. Cheese and Dave & Busters. There will also be a train-style dining car with LCD “windows” and videos “taking guests on a simulated trip, moving along at about 40 mph.” Another room will boast a ’70s disco theme with blacklights, flat black walls, neon posters and special blacklight-reactive tabletops. Cohn said they still have some testing to do to get the right feel while maintaining safety standards. The diner will feature the same menu, including “p-nut” burgers and milk shakes, home-style meatloaf and the popular macaroni and cheese. The traditional flinging of straws and bubble gum and impromptu singing by the “campy” waitresses in bouffant hairdos will also continue, Cohn said. Because the one-way Decatur Court roadway to the new diner is a bit of a challenge, the Cohns are planning an ad campaign that will read: “Hard to find, worth the trip!” The Cohns said they want the diner to be that special “gem” hungry customers seek out. The Corvette Diner’s grand opening is scheduled for early July and will feature a car show by the Corvette Club, bands and entertainment for kids of all ages. However, Loma Portal Elementary School has jumped to the head of the class and will have its end-of-year celebration preview party fundraiser at the diner on June 15. The event will be the first such private party at the Corvette Diner. School spokesperson Sandra Veum said the response to the upcoming fundraiser has been overwhelming, leading to a sold-out event. Veum said District 2 City Councilmember Kevin Faulconer and his wife, Katherine, are expected to attend. For more information, call (619) 542-1476, or visit www.cohnrestaurants.com.
