It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…a diner?
The almost‑six‑decade‑old Wythe Diner, a fixture in Williamsburg since 1968, has been carefully lifted off its long‑standing railcar location, transported across Brooklyn, and set down in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Once there, it will serve as a permanent movie set for Steiner Studios’ upcoming projects.
The classic mid‑century eatery was hoisted by a crane, secured onto a flatbed, and driven roughly two miles to the Navy Yard. The structure will be reassembled as part of the studio’s permanent set collection.
The diner has already earned credits in the film world, having appeared in “Men in Black 3” and “The Good Shepherd.” Until Steiner Studios stepped in, the plan was to demolish the historic car and replace it with a development featuring ground‑floor retail and 28 apartments above.
In the summer of 2025, the diner was sold to a real‑estate development firm for $12.5 million. The developers intended to tear it down for new construction, but Doug Steiner, chairman of Steiner Studios, intervened at the last minute. He offered to relocate the structure and pledged to care for it in the Navy Yard.
“He explained that the restaurant was “one of the few places” he and his pals would dine at “before major gentrification” hit Williamsburg,” he told CBS News. “I live in the neighborhood. There used to be only four or five places to eat in Williamsburg, and it’s a cool thing.” He added, “I hope that Steiner Studios gets to put it in all kinds of movies.”
Steiner also noted he hadn’t originally been on the market for a diner, but he takes pride in its preservation.
The studio’s Brooklyn Navy Yard site has already hosted major television productions such as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Inventing Anna,” and “Only Murders in the Building.”
Sandy Stillman, who ran the diner’s predecessor, Relish Restaurant, from 1997 to 2010, was thrilled to see his “inanimate child” kept whole. He told CBS News on the move day, “It’s kind of a monumental day for me, one of the best days I’ve ever had.”
After Relish and then Cafe De La Esquina closed, the space hosted various pop‑up shops and events, including a brief stint by Chanel.
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