In keeping with their play-on-words, long-time friends Nick Sinicropi and Zach Corbin will "keep on truckin'" as they start serving up breakfast and lunch through a brick and mortar version of a popular food truck.
Good Truckin' Diner opened in early November, bringing artisan style diner fare to 1107 S. Washington Ave. in REO Town. The diner follows the success of Sinicropi's Good Truckin' Food truck that has wheeled out lunchtime fare since early summer.
And another word favored by Sinicropi?
"Potential," he says. "That's my one-word answer for why we came to REO Town."
Sinicropi says the sit-down diner wasn't in his plans for this year, but after being invited to tour the real estate, he was in. He noticed right away the positive vibe on S. Washington, and decided that REO Town wasn't the same neighborhood he remembered from coming-of-age on Lansing's Southside.
"I was really surprised when I came down here," says Sinicropi. "We want to get in on the ground floor and help build this area back up rather than coming in afterward."
Sinicropi knew the timing was right and joined forces with Corbin to get the restaurant moving. Leveraging his inclination for carpentry, Corbin gave the 800-square foot space an old-fashioned, industrial feel by using galvanized steel, a repurposed picket fence, old hubcaps, license plates and an Oldsmobile grill. He also framed two vintage state and city maps to enhance the hometown, automotive flair.
"Zach is really the mind behind the inside," says Sinicropi. "We wanted to keep the truck theme and he had some great ideas."
With décor in place, the diner began serving made-from-scratch meals for breakfast and lunch. Some creations are original, others are twists on traditional favorites. Plates run an average of $7.99 with popular fare including eggs and omelets, craft burgers, sandwiches, burritos and soups.
"Nick came up with a great menu," says Corbin. "He likes to get crazy, so you'll find things like a blacken burger with jalapeno cream cheese and habanero relish. We also have a Bourbon Street French toast with caramelized bananas."
Good Truckin' Diner seats 28, created five new restaurant jobs, and is open for breakfast and lunch every day but Monday.
Source: Nick Sinicropi and Zach Corbin, Co-owners, Good Truckin' Diner
Writer: Ann Kammerer, Development News Editor
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