Nostalgic chain seeks growth

Poodle skirts and jukeboxes are on the way back to the Gulf Coast with 5 & Diner, a Worcester, Mass.-based restaurant chain.

The 1950s and '60s themed diners, with one Florida location, in Orlando, will target the St.Petersburg-Clearwater-Tampa area for expansion. Owner and CEO Bob Watson says a Florida expansion is the right move because of the obvious demographic pull: The chain, with menu items that include Mrs. Cleaver's Pot Roast, the Big Bopper Burger and Cadillac Meatloaf, is a gas for people over 50.

“It gives people the feeling of walking back in time,” Watson tells Coffee Talk. “Florida has a lot of people who can remember the '50s and '60s, and do so with a good deal of pleasure.”