Wednesday, October 14, 2026
The Baldwin Coach Diner, a local fixture for more than six decades, will close on April 10, following the death of its longtime owner, John Kanaras.
The announcement was first shared on Facebook by Kanaras’s wife, Penny, after he died on March 3, at age 62.
“It is with great sadness that the Baldwin Coach Diner will be closing April 10,” Penny wrote. “We had a great run and love you all. Come say goodbye.”
The diner, at the corner of Sunrise Highway and Central Avenue, the diner has been in the community since 1938. Originally owned by another Greek family, it changed hands in 1964, when John Kanaras’s father, Peter, and two partners, Tommy Mathews and George Tsotos, took ownership.
Peter stepped down in 2016, after being diagnosed with cancer, leaving John, his sister, Trissy Kanaras-Navas, and Penny Kanaras to manage the business.
“It’s the end of an era,” Penny told the Herald. “With John passing, we can’t keep it going, unfortunately, and we hope that we gave family and friends a warm place to come celebrate birthdays, graduations and every family event.
“The fact that many families came to us to have dinners meant a lot to us,” Penny added. “We’re going to miss the community very much.”
For generations, the diner was more than just a place to eat. Customers were greeted by name, and there was a strong sense of community. Popular menu items included the cheeseburger deluxe, chicken souvlaki, waffles, pancakes and seasonal favorites like pumpkin muffins.
On the “Baldwin Inside” Facebook group, one resident called the diner’s closure a “crushing blow to Baldwin,” and many shared memories of meals they enjoyed over the years.
Al Marvelli recalled visiting the diner on Sundays after church as a child, and stopping by in uniform before being deployed to Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East.
Abby and Miguel Melendez, of Baldwin, reminisced about dining there in the late 1990s and early 2000s with their children. “They loved going there,” Miguel said to the Herald. “We always had the same waiter — Victor was his name.”
Abby Melendez recalled the staff’s professionalism and attention to detail. Their children were given placemats to color while they waited for their food, and John Kanaras would hang their artwork behind the register.
“On our next visit, their artwork would still be there,” Miguel noted.
The diner also hosted community events and fundraisers, and was the longtime meeting place of the Baldwin Lions Club. Naresh Singh, the club’s president, called its closure a “tremendous loss.”
“It’s incredibly hard to say goodbye to the Baldwin Coach Diner, a place that has been such a vital part of the Baldwin community,” Singh wrote in an email. “For decades, it’s been more than just a diner — it’s been a gathering place for community meetings, fundraisers, and countless memories. It served as the home base for the Baldwin Lions Club, bringing people together for a shared purpose.
“The Kanaras family always made everyone feel welcome, with their warmth, generosity, and deep sense of community,” Singh added. “Their presence and spirit will be truly missed. The diner was woven into the fabric of our neighborhood, and as a longtime resident, it’s difficult to imagine Baldwin without it.”
Penny Kanaras and her daughter, Rachael Donahue, said they plan to remain in Baldwin while Donahue attends Long Island University in Greenvale.
“Thank you for 61 amazing years, and we’ll see you around town,” Penny said.
Singh echoed that sentiment in his email. “Thank you to everyone who made this place so special,” he wrote. “We wish the Kanaras family all the best as they move forward into this new chapter of their lives.”
