PATERSON, NJ – The popular Mr. G’s Diner is reopening its doors in Paterson, continuing a long tradition of serving classic dishes and providing a gathering place for community members and friends.
Following its grand opening on Friday morning, the vintage restaurant on the corner of 10th Avenue and 18th Street will celebrate its grand reopening on Saturday and Sunday with hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The menu includes popular items such as chicken wings, sandwiches, breakfast dishes and desserts – as well as oxtail, French fries and chicken and waffles.
This longtime landmark (455 East 18th Street, Paterson) was first built in 1940 under the name Pickering’s Grill and has undergone several name changes, according to JerseyBites.com.
“Mr. G’s Diner” has been the name of the diner since civil rights activist Russell “G” Graddy bought the building in 2008. A two-block stretch of 10th Avenue is also named after Graddy, who died in 2021. Graddy was part of a group that organized a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Paterson in 1968 – not long before King’s assassination, NorthJersey.com noted.
Mr. G’s has undergone extensive renovations in preparation for its reopening and is also under new management: entrepreneurs Vaughn and Marnie McKoy and local businessman Yaakoub Hijazi, who also owns Star Laundry and was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2020. Vaughn McCoy is originally from Paterson and was previously the city’s economic administrator.
“We are honored to continue the legacy of Mr. G’s Diner,” he said in a statement. “This is more than just a diner; it’s a place where memories are made and shared.”
Earlier this year, Graddy’s daughter Lenise told NorthJersey.com that the family was considering taking legal action against the new owners for using the name “Mr. G,” and said some community members believed the Graddy family was involved in the reopening.
In a statement to the publication, McKoy said the name was “a tribute to the trailblazer that Mr. G. was and a continuation of his legacy in the community – especially since the building is located on a street named after him.”
As of Friday, the New Jersey court system had no records of civil litigation related to Mr. G.’s name.
