The beloved Geets Diner in Williiamstown NJ is now positioned for many more years of serving delicious meals and amazing memories to the community, as they are taking on a partner… who is another well known South Jersey diner name!
And with this joint-partnership at Geets, the entire Geets Diner family stays together at the Gloucester County diner… every cook, waitress, bartender… and even owner Sandy Cannon… are staying on board!
This is exciting news for South Jersey diner lovers, as it was widely reported earlier this year that the beloved diner was for sale… and that had many wonder about the fate of Geets Diner! Well, worry no more.
The new partner in Geets Diner’s future is “Paul” Efthimios Tsiknakis of Monarch Diner in Glassboro!
Paul is a big name in the South Jersey diner family, currently owner of Monarch Diner but also originally developing and owning the Lamppost Diner in Gloucester Township, part ownership in the Metro Diner in Brooklawn and others.
And to be clear Paul will continue to own and manage the Monarch Diner independently. The partnership with Sandy is focused on Williamstown’s Geets Diner.
If you’re unfamiliar with Geets Diner, it is a popular and large diner, restaurant and bar located on the Black Horse Pike and Sicklerville Road in Williamstown NJ.
Originally opened as a small truck stop in 1942, founder Francis Sylvester gained his nickname “Geets” during his youth Little League baseball days… a name that carried into his adulthood and diner.
Current owner Sandy Cannon took over the diner in 2017, an investment which is truly connected to her own experiences growing up in South Jersey and regularly visiting the diner as a lifelong local.
At the time of her purchase in 2017 she told NJ.com “I can remember back to my early childhood eating at Geets with my parents and family members and continued going to Geets with my own family through the years”
And though my journey as the sole owner may have come to an end, the memories and bonds forged within these walls will endure, a testament to the spirit of Geets Diner and the remarkable individuals who made it shine!
Sandy Cannon – Owner of Geets Diner, Williamstown NJ
Geets Diner – Finding Friends In Many Places
I was honored today to be on a call today with both Sandy (Geets) and Paul (Monarch) as they shared with me their plans for Geets Diner… which in short summary is to simply keep everything as it is… from the name, to the staff, bar and more. And even Sandy will remain as a core part of the Geets Diner family!
Some may say it’s a surprising partnership, because many would think that there must be a competitiveness amongst local diner owners particularly when their restaurants are only 15 minutes apart!
But that is not the case with Paul and Sandy. It seems that over the years the two have developed a high-level of respect for each other… and it actually it seems like a friendship.
Paul said to me on the phone call that it’s a very small and tightknit world of diner owners and employees in South Jersey… and they really try to look out for each other and help where they can.
In the case of Paul and Sandy, he shared that going back several years they’ve communicated regularly on the successes and tough times of operating their diners… particularly during the challenging pandemic years.
Honestly it was wonderfully refreshing to hear how the two became friends over the years, and now business partners.
The new partner brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the table. Together we envision a future brimming with innovation, culinary excellence, and above all, a steadfast commitment to our patrons.
Sandy Cannon – Owner of Geets Diner, Williamstown NJ
Geets Diner – Time Was Of The Essence
Earlier this year several of the larger Philadelphia area media outlets all jumped on the story that Geets Diner was for sale.
So to set the record straight… there was never anything “wrong” with Geets Diner… it continued to be a successful business operation for Sandy and her team.
But Sandy explained to me on the phone that while she has amazing managers on the team, much of the operational aspects of the diner fell on her, along with expected numerous touch points on day-to-day aspects of diner operations.
Geets Diner is a big operation of 10,000 square feet, featuring a larger diner area, a full bar and lounge, additional dining rooms and patio areas… and a large number of staff.
It’s a lot of work to keep everything moving smoothly, and likely most didn’t realize how much Sandy was “carrying on her shoulders” to keep customers and employees happy. Finances, Bills, Payroll, and of course Day-To-Day Diner operations.
Where things really started pulling at her… well as she told the Philadelphia Inquirer back in March… while Sandy is still young in her early 50s, she now has eight grandchildren!
Eight grandchildren that she would truly love to spend more time with… and time that was difficult to find operating one of South Jersey’s largest diners as a solo owner.
So this is where the joint partnership with Paul of Monarch Diner really makes sense.
Well, as I’ve already stated over the years the two have develop a friendship which started from their shared interests in diner ownership, so they already had a solid foundation.
For the partnership at Geets Diner, while all of the details haven’t been worked out (or at least shared with me), Paul and his team are positioned to take over much of the back-end operational aspects of the diner… freeing up Sandy to focus on more core diner facets and still have much more time to spend with her growing family!
And of course Paul will be providing his own insight into the operations and future direction of the diner. It seems he and Sandy will make those decisions together. Most importantly it’s clear they are both completely aligned on the importance that Geets Diner has to the community… and that it will remain a beloved dining and community space for years to come.
Absolutely life balance and spending more time with her family is a key driver of this decision for Sandy… but in my conversations with her and subsequent text messages it was clear that she has a deep, deep connection to the diner, the staff and customers.
To our dedicated staff, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your hard work and dedication. You are the heart and soul of Geets Diner, and I am confident that together we will navigate this transition with grace and resilience.
Sandy Cannon – Owner of Geets Diner, Williamstown NJ
Sandy has prepared a heart warming message to those she loves in the diner community… she gave me permission to share it with this article but I’ve chosen to simply include several snippets here and I’ll leave the rest for Sandy to share.
They say a Win-Win outcome is a rare thing… this one feels like a Win-Win-Win-Win-Win as Sandy, Paul, Staff, Customers and the community all get a big Championship level WIN with this one.
As I wrote this up around dinner time I got a text from Sandy. I mentioned I stopped at the diner to take a few updated photos. She asked if I had dinner… likely ready to offer me a meal “on the house”.
She apologized for not being there when I stopped in..
“Sorry, I was at the campground with my grandkids”
Links and Location
Geets Diner & Sports Bar
14 N Black Horse Pike
Williamstown, NJ 08094