Biddeford, ME. The Palace Diner's regular customers can breathe easy.

The downtown landmark began operating under new management Monday, but the lunch menu still featured roast stuffed turkey, and an egg-salad sandwich could be had for less than $2. "I don't want to make people angry," said Kyle Quinn of Biddeford, who bought the Palace along with his wife, Debbie. "It's going to remain Biddeford's baby."

This 15-stool eatery, which resembles a red and yellow railroad car, is believed to be Maine's oldest diner. It opened 78 years ago, originally catering mostly to mill workers, and the Quinns are just its fifth owners.

They paid $125,000 to take over from Rick and Jo Bernier, who had run the place since 1997.

The Berniers put the diner on the market last year, so they knew this day was coming. Still, Rick Bernier was in a wistful mood as he trained his successor inside the Franklin Street diner's small kitchen.

"I put a lot into this. It's an emotional thing," said Bernier, who grew up in Saco. "When I was 20 years old, I knew that I was going to own the Palace Diner."

The new owners seem to share the same passion for the place. They had been looking to buy a restaurant, and they knew they'd found the right fit when they heard the Palace was for sale.

"We just became obsessed with it. Had to have it," Kyle Quinn said.

The Quinns signed the necessary paperwork Friday, and they plan to be running the diner on their own by the end of this week. They aren't planning any drastic changes, though they will make some tweaks.

The Palace should be open on Saturdays within a month, and there will be some additions to the menu.

One new breakfast option will be the La Kermesse special, which will feature eggs and French toast. Another new choice will be a hot dog and bun deep-fried simultaneously.

Three generations of the Quinn family will be involved in the diner's daily operations. Kyle Quinn, 47, will be joined in the kitchen by his father, and his daughter will work at the counter.

That's in keeping with tradition - the diner has always been a family business.

The Palace was opened by Louis Lachance of Kennebunk, who entered the diner business with his brother-in-law. The next owner, Roland Beaudoin, passed the diner along to his son. Then after the restaurant sat vacant for 14 months, Rick and Jo Bernier filled the breach in 1997.

Kyle Quinn helped serve 53 lunches on Monday, and by closing time he felt right at home.

"I'm just so looking forward to what's ahead," he said.

Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
Originally published online here: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/york/051004diner.shtml