Not your father's diner
When you set foot in Ellen’s Stardust Diner, in the heart of Times Square, you don’t know what to expect—in a good way.
Why, that could be Ellen herself up there, singing while your server brings your food. Or the next minute, there’s your server, belting out a Broadway melody.
But the iconic “diner”—the word isn’t big enough to encompass what the place is all about—on Broadway and West 51st Street, has many special events that any diner can be part of.
In June, Ellen’s will celebrate PRIDE Month, and partner with the New York City-based God’s Love We Deliver. The nonprofit’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of people with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses. It does this by providing quality, nutritious foods to those who might not have the means to eat healthfully.
So diners who step into the always-busy place in June will find some food choices, and merchandise, themed to PRIDE Month. For example, there’s a Rainbow Shake, and Rainbow Cake. And if you want to look cool white eating—or doing anything else—there’s a God’s Love We Deliver T-Shirt. And Ellen’s will give 20 percent of the proceeds from these special items to the nonprofit.
The rainbow cake.
Yes, there is an Ellen behind all this. Once upon a time, Ellen Sturm was a Miss Subways. That was back in 1959 when, as Ellen Hart, her picture adorned every subway car in New York City for two months. She hasn’t forgotten her underground roots, though, and among the programs she features in the eatery is a Miss Subways reunion.
Miss Subways was a New York institution—millions of riders every day saw her picture in the subway cars. The idea was that she was the so-called Girl Next Door. She often was a teen-ager. She was also a secretary, a Broadway hopeful, a college student. For old-time’s sake—as well as for the younger generations that come into the Stardust Diner—Ellen Sturm brings back these ladies.
At a recent reunion they were at tables that enjoyed what has become a significant part of the diner—singing waiters and waitresses. These (mostly) young people are chosen for their vocal skills as well as their serving skills. They are not merely servers who sing. They are performers who can serve, all waiting and hoping to make it to Broadway, as so many of their predecessors have.
Miss Subways Reunion!
Ellen has made the diner not only a part of the Times Square world, but also a conduit to helping others.
“We are so proud to support God’s Love We Deliver with their steadfast dedication and ongoing efforts to provide much-needed aid to our New York community for nearly 40 years,” says Ellen. “As a diner welcoming New Yorkers and tourists from around the globe for almost four decades, we too agree that ‘Food is Medicine’ and ‘Food is Love.’“
So during PRIDE Month enjoy a slice of rainbow cake. After you’ve had your rainbow bagel, of course.
