The 24-hour American diner is vanishing — here's what's driving the decline

As more diners end 24-hour service, a handful have managed to keep the tradition alive, keeping their lights and griddles on around the clock.

The original Red Arrow Diner opened its doors in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1922. Over the decades, the business expanded, changed ownership and moved locations.

Currently, the historic diner is the flagship of four Red Arrow Diners in the state, co-owned by Amanda Wihby and George Lawrence.

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All four restaurants are open 24/7. During the overnight hours, between midnight and 5 a.m., the diners attract a mixed crowd, Wihby said.

"It could just be a regular who has nowhere else to go and wants to come in for a warm cup of coffee and a smile and maybe sit back and watch some of the entertainment that happens," she said.

"You have your first responders and people coming off [the] third shift, travelers, and, of course, there are the people who are coming out of the bars. … It's important for us to be here for them. And now that it's becoming a rare thing to be [open] 24 hours for diners, I feel like it just makes the Red Arrow that [much more] special."

Yelp data released in 2025 showed that 24/7 restaurants are experiencing upheaval nationwide. The number of restaurants offering 24-hour service in the U.S. fell 11% between January 2020 and January 2025.

In Los Angeles, 29% of all-night restaurants closed, while Las Vegas saw 9% disappear, according to Yelp.

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"A handful of cities are defying this downward trend," Yelp reported, citing increases in places like Baltimore (14%), Salt Lake City (25%) and Key West, Florida (33%).

Labor shortages and changing customer behavior – including younger Americans choosing to drink less – have put a damper on the demand for a late-night meal, Yelp reported.

Cultural and economic challenges, including the pandemic's lasting effects on sit-down restaurants and the role of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs in people's eating habits, also play a part in the decline of 24/7 food service, Food & Wine reported.

Surveys also show that affordability concerns are prompting Americans to cut back on restaurant spending. Restaurant labor costs are also "well above historical averages," 2026 data from the National Restaurant Association showed.

Nevertheless, the diner has always been "the focal part of the community," Wihby said. During the pandemic, the owners had to close three of the four Red Arrow locations during the third shift.

"When the governor closed us down, we didn't have keys," Wihby recalled. "We had never closed the restaurants, so we were struggling to find the keys to lock the door."

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It took the owners a few years after the pandemic to get all four restaurants back to 24/7 service, but all locations are now open all day and night and are prospering, they said.

Navigating the pressures of inflation and societal changes is what Wihby said she and Lawrence do daily.

"We sit and find solutions and troubleshoot and find a way to squeeze out the bottom line wherever we can, but not by cutting our quality," Wihby said.

Wihby credits Red Arrow's employees and the diners' "very loyal vendors" with helping them succeed.

One of the general managers, for instance, started with the business washing dishes as a teenager, worked his way up to a cook "and now he's got a family with kids, and he's running our Londonderry location," Wihby said.

Several other employees have also worked at the diners for more than 10 years.

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"We are blessed to have the best employees in the business," Wihby said.

"They know customers either by name or what they eat. Someone will walk in and they're like, 'Oh, there's a chicken-fried steak and sausage gravy,' instead of their name. They banter with the customers and create memories. And that's why people keep coming back."

One famous regular was Hollywood star Adam Sandler's father, Stan, who ate at the diner every Sunday. His regular order – eggs and bacon, panfries and toast – is on the Red Arrow menu as "Stan the Man," named in his memory.

"During election time, most presidents [have come] in," Lawrence said. "That was very exciting."

The diner is a famous stop for presidential candidates. President Donald Trump visited the diner in 2023 after a campaign rally.

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It has endured by serving consistently good food at reasonable prices and offering a welcoming environment, Wihby and Lawrence said.

"I could be sitting here next to the governor on one side and maybe a nurse or someone in construction on the other side," Wihby said.

"We cater to all walks of life. There is a seat for everybody at the counter. And what's more American than that? I think that tradition is important, and I think it'll stay alive."