PHOENIX — A historic diner in the heart of Phoenix has seen the city change and grow over the past century, and now it's their turn for a renovation.
MacAlpine's Diner and Soda Fountain will receive a $50,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express's "Backing Historic Small Restaurants" program to update the diner's exterior.
“$50,000 for us is huge. That makes a really big difference," MacAlpine's Owner Monica Heizenrader said. “Make MacAlpine’s as cute on the outside as it is on the inside.”
Currently known for the bright yellow building near 7th Street and McDowell Road, Heizenrader said she's planning to paint the building, add a mural to the side wall and fix some damage.
“Unluckily, we’ve had a terrible graffiti problem so we’re going to have to replace the glass windows and that’s going to be about $10,000 but at least now we have the money to do it," Heizenrader said.
The grant comes after the Heizenrader family worked to re-open their doors after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to shut down.
The diner was at risk of closing for good, but thanks to more than $35,000 of community donations, MacAlpine's is once again in service during limited hours.
“The first day that we reopened we had customers in here crying who were afraid we would never reopen and just the sentiment from the community has just been amazing," Heizenrader said.
Heizenrader said there is still more work needed to restore the restaurant to its former glory.
“This year, we’re 95 years old so we’re getting close to 100," Heizenrader said. “We’re just trying to get MacAlpine's up to what it used to be."
Heizenrader said all of the money and labor to keep MacAlpine's running is worth it, in hopes the diner will continue serving up sundaes for another century to come.
“We’re just beyond excited to be able to welcome people back into MacAlpine’s again," Heizenrader said.
MacAlpine's owners plan on expanding its hours and menu in the coming weeks.
Anyone interested in donating to the diner's GoFundMe page can click here.
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