Car culture is deeply linked to old-school diners as both reached heights during the ‘golden era’ of the 1950’s before chain restaurants killed the family diner, and government regulations killed chrome bumpers. Diners provided an accessible gathering spot for teenagers and gearheads looking for their next drag race.
Just look at these pictures of the ‘3 Coins Open Kitchen‘ and you can just picture a greaser with a 409 perched on a stool at the counter at midnight, waiting for some guy in a hot rod to walk in, looking to take the Yonge St drag-racing title.
Originally opened in 1955 the ‘3 Coins’ is the oldest restaurant in the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill. The diner remains at its original location at 10140 Yonge St, but it’s a not a late-night spot anymore. Forget about meeting up at the diner at midnight to arrange the next street race; this place closes at three o’clock in the afternoon!
Street racing is different too. It’s never been legal, but in 1955 the only thing around the intersection of Yonge St and Major MacKenzie Dr were farms. It was a lot less dangerous to drag when the only thing you could hit was a cow.
The ‘3 Coins’ is a quintessential diner. It’s retro without being phony, because it kind of always looked this way! Strong primary colours, checkered tiles, and vinyl booths with a tiny jukebox at each. There’s a long lunch counter with padded stools directly across from the grill where a top-up on a cup of coffee is only seconds away.
The iconic neon sign was an original fixture, but as the owners got old, it fell into disrepair. In 1991 the sign was restored to its original vibrance when the next generation took over. It’s truly a callback to the good old days.
The idea of greasers and cool cats meeting up at a diner to plan a drag race is something that many of us know only from movies like “American Graffiti” but to gearheads, places like the ‘3 Coins’ are the stuff of legends.