For many in Coney Island, the Parkview Diner isn’t just a place to grab pancakes or a burger — it’s home.
The 24-hour diner has become an institution, serving good food and community to generations of Brooklynites. And according to co-owner Adam Fathelbab, that legacy runs deeper than many may realize.
“We’re the neighborhood diner,” he said. “It’s really a home away from home.”
Its roots stretch back decades, even before it became a diner. Fathelbab, who grew up in Brooklyn and took over the business with his family in 2013, recalls stories told by longtime customers about the lot’s original purpose: two rival watermelon stands, run by brothers, who sold in competition.
The space evolved to the Vegas Diner, then into the Nebraska Diner in the 1970s, Fathelbab said, part of a short-lived dream by the original owner to create diners named after all 50 states. The space later became Retro 50 before undergoing several closures and re-openings, eventually reemerging in 2010 as the Parkview Diner. Fathelbab and his family stepped in just a few years later, determined to keep it thriving.
Since then, Parkview solidified its role as a local staple, where longtime staff greet returning customers like old friends, and a first visit often doesn’t stay the last. Fathelbab credits the diner’s low staff turnover rate, saying “if you came here 10 years ago, 70 percent of the people would still be the same”— as part of a commitment to togetherness.
“We take care in every detail,” he said. “Whether it’s a customer or an employee, we want everyone to feel like they belong.”
That spirit even caught the attention of Hollywood. The diner was a filming location for “Anora,” the 2025 Oscar Best Picture winner set in southern Brooklyn.
“It was a great representation of the diner and the community,” Fathelbab said. “The film wasn’t supposed to win anything, but it did. It’s an underdog story, just like Coney Island.”
“We’re the underdogs, kind of forgotten about. We’re here for each other and we’re a great community,” he continued. “We keep fighting.”
Fathelbab takes pride in the diners diverse menu, saying they stick to the classics but make everything well.
“No one should ever leave dissatisfied,” he said.
He also values attention to detail — whether it’s greeting every customer or keeping longtime staff.
“From the customers to the employees, and anyone in between, it’s home,” he said.
That bond runs deep: one table at his wedding was reserved for diner regulars. As a born and raised Brooklynite, Fathelbab finds fulfilment in Parkview’s place in the community.
“Being part of this community and being known as the neighborhood diner is an honor and a privilege,” he said. “We’re a home away from home.”
