Beloved South Jersey Diner to Finally Reopen After 3-Year Wait

A beloved South Jersey diner, which first opened in 1959 but has been closed for the last three years, has announced it will finally reopen in April 2026.

The newly renamed Jersey Diner, formerly the Malaga Diner, has been promising to reopen under new ownership since 2024, but apparently ran into renovation issues, which delayed the opening by two years.

The Jersey Diner Plans to Open in April

In early November 2023, the Malaga Diner in Franklin Township posted on Facebook that it had been sold and would reopen under new ownership with a new name in spring 2024.

After a while, locals waiting for the reopening to happen got frustrated with the delay, as you see in this Facebook post from early 2025.

Two years and Jersey diner isn’t open yet. They need to take their sign down out front that reads ‘opening soon’!

The restaurant's new owner, Yilmaz Kangal, also owns the Millville Queen Diner in Millville and the Queen 2 Restaurant in Vineland, according to NJ.com.

He blamed the holdup on a demand for a new septic system for the business.

In January 2025, the diner posted on Facebook, "Announcement: NJ EPA recommended us to put in a new septic system. All the renovation is done inside the building. We have started the new project on the septic (system) and hopefully will open in 2 months. Sorry for the delay."

Almost a year later, the diner said that the project was proceeding nicely, and then, last week, posted on Facebook that they would announce an opening date shortly.

We are opening in April, we will announce the exact date shortly. Once we have posted the hiring sign, you will be able to come inside and submit an application.

 

A Diner With a Long History

As 42 freewaycom noted in 2023, the Malaga Diner opened in 1959 on Harding Highway in Franklin, NJ, but was better known as “where Routes 40 and 47 Meet.”

And that is the same slogan that was used when the original (and smaller) Malaga diner opened in its current location back in 1959!   Yes, portions of the building have been at the intersection for almost 65 years!

 

But then, before that, the original diner building actually traces back to 1940 when it first opened as the Publix Diner, located in Vineland at the N.W. corner of 6th Street and Landis!