ARIZONA NEWS

MacAlpine’s Diner and Soda Fountain, a historic Phoenix business, gets $50K preservation grant

Aug 2, 2024, 4:35 AM

Split panel image showing the front (at left) and side of MacAlpine's Diner and Soda Fountain in Ph...

The historic MacAlpine's Diner and Soda Fountain in Phoenix received a $50,000 preservation grant. (Facebook/MacAlpine's Diner & Soda Fountain and Backing Historic Small Restaurants Photos)

(Facebook/MacAlpine's Diner & Soda Fountain and Backing Historic Small Restaurants Photos)

PHOENIX — MacAlpine’s Diner and Soda Fountain, a historic but struggling Phoenix business, received a boost this week in the form of a $50,000 preservation grant.

MacAlpine’s is one of 50 establishments nationwide to receive a total of a total of $2.5 million from the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, a National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express initiative.

MacAlpine’s is a true blast from the past. Its origins date back to 1929, when it started as a soda fountain inside a central Phoenix pharmacy.

What makes MacAlpine’s Diner and Soda Fountain special?

The building on the northeast corner of Seventh and Oak streets, with its funky yellow façade and vintage “coffee shoppe” sign, is hard to miss.

And for customers who walk through the doors, it’s a bit like time travel.

They can hop up on a rotating stool at the counter or slide into a booth to order a cheeseburger and an ice cream soda. Jukeboxes with 1950s songs add another layer of authenticity to the experience.

“History is our passion. Creating a unique experience for our customers is our pleasure,” says the history section of the diner’s website.

How the historic Phoenix diner is making a comeback

MacAlpine’s, which has been under its current ownership since 2001, appears to be on the comeback trail after enduring a difficult stretch.

The business was closed for about four years, first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then because of staffing shortages and family health issues.

The owners launched a GoFundMe campaign last year to help cover the cost of reopening. As of Thursday, it raised about $35,000 of the $93,500 goal.

While short of what was needed to fully reopen, MacAlpine’s returned in March with several pop-up events. Since then, the diner has added regular but limited hours.

According to the restaurant’s website, MacAlpine’s is now serving lunch and desserts from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays.

The diner also sells its pies online, baked or frozen to bake at home.

The momentum continued with this week’s Backing Historic Small Restaurants announcement. MacAlpine’s said on social media it will use the $50,000 award for exterior improvements and building renovations.

What is the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program?

The program was created in 2021 to help historic small restaurants upgrade, renovate and grow. Including this year’s winners, it has funded 125 businesses.

“They are beloved gathering places in their neighborhoods,” Carol Quillen, CEO of the National Trust, said in a press release Monday. “In many cases, they have been run for generations by the same family. Empowering small businesses that hold decades of stories is one powerful way that preservation strengthens local economies as it serves local communities.”

Recipients also receive a year of free access to Resy OS restaurant management software.

Delgadillo’s Snow Cap in Seligman is the only Arizona business besides MacAlpine’s to receive one of the grants. The burger stand on Route 66 was a 2023 recipient.

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MacAlpine’s Diner and Soda Fountain, a historic Phoenix business, gets $50K preservation grant