Iconic Olga's Diner Getting New Life In South Jersey

EVESHAM TOWNSHIP, NJ — Remember Olga’s Diner? Anyone who’s ever driven on Route 73 in South Jersey should. It was an iconic hot spot the occupied a corner of Route 70 and Route 73 long before the development boom that brought a multitude of shopping centers and stores to Marlton.

It’s closed now; has been since 2008. In its place stands the shell of a building that will soon be a fertility clinic. But Olga’s is coming back, if just in name only.

A preliminary and final major site plan that would erect a diner by the same name at 200 Route 73 was approved by the Evesham Township Planning Board by a 6-0 vote on May 3, according to the township’s website.

The proposal by owners Bill Dovas and Chris Kolovos calls for a “classic family style restaurant” that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and doesn’t have a liquor license. It would be open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. It would employ 65-75 total employees.

They propose to use the same sign script the former Olga’s Diner used, and the building would resemble the old Olga’s on three sides.

However, it would have no relation to the previous Olga’s Diner, according to the Courier Post. “We’re paying homage to the old look, but with a modern approach,” Kolovos told the newspaper. The new diner, which will cost $3 million to build, may be open by the spring.

The original Olga’s Diner was built in 1946, and stood in Marlton from 1946-2008, according to the report. The owners of the proposed new diner also own the Colonial Diner in Woodbury, Lucien's Manor in Berlin, and the Oregon and Penrose diners in South Philadelphia, and they recently acquire The Mansion on Main Street in Voorhees.

The original Olga’s Diner is gone. The vacant building was only recently torn down so construction on the clinic could begin. The old diner is still missed. There's even a "Remembering Olga's Diner" Facebook page.

“Oh how I remember stopping for breakfast on the way to OC,” one person wrote. “My grandmom knew Olga ( and said she pronounced it w/a short o, like in bottle) : they became friends after many years. I'm sure they are in heaven, sharing breakfast and laughter. Thank you for giving my family such wonderful memories.”

Patch file photo by Bryan Littel