The story of Fanny’s Diner will be shared within my upcoming book, among many other important parts of our history that I have photographed and documented. Check it out HERE, and pre-order one of these limited edition copies.
Collinwood, OH – a village in Cleveland. Where once stood an incredible, home-style 1950s diner, now remains only an empty lot of flattened earth.

Six years ago, I explored what was formerly Fanny’s Restaurant in Collinwood, OH. Loved by many local and beyond, Fanny’s offered some of the most memorable home-style meals to come from a small diner in the Cleveland area. People who had visited during the restaurant’s earlier years often comment about how delicious their sticky buns were.

April 13, 2007 Fanny’s was closed for good, as nearly $750,000 in federal taxes were owed. A fundraiser was hosted at the Beachland Ballroom, with hopes to bring in enough to cover over a year of state taxes, but unfortunately funds fell short. Fanny’s would remain vacant for years to come.

The neighborhood, former employees, longtime customers and friends of owner Terry Kollar were heartbroken to see the restaurant closed. So many memories remained within these walls for the family and friends of the restaurant. For nearly 60 years, Fanny’s served Collinwood and the Cleveland area. Throughout those years, children had grown, and some even raising their own families, all knowing Fanny’s home-style meals. There had been hope to bring together a group of people to secure a large enough down payment to buy the property, but that fell through as well.

While wandering across Facebook the other day, I noticed a post that caught my attention. Normally a photo of an empty dirt lot would not catch the attention of many, but for me…well, I guess I am either really into dirt lots, or simply just curious if that dirt lot used to be a place I photographed. In this case, it was unfortunately one of the places I had photographed.
Fanny’s was demolished within the last two weeks, leaving no more than an empty dirt lot, and memories tossed aside. Again, this is why I find it so important to photograph and document these places. These photos hold memories for some that will live forever.

Thank you to Edward Chenock for that photo of the empty lot, and being friends with me on Facebook so that I could catch it while scrolling.