Shipwreck Diner celebrates 100 years of serving bacon, eggs in Northport village

When Denis Beyersdorf took over the diner on Main Street in Northport less than two years shy of its 100th anniversary, he only changed two things: the bacon, and the name.

The bacon was merely a matter of preference, switching brands, but the name was a matter of principle. Originally dubbed the Northport Diner in 1924, it went by Otto’s Shipwreck Diner from 1972 to 1996 and then Tim’s Shipwreck Diner. But Beyersdorf, who made his career in finance before he was laid off in 2021, decided his name was not meant to grace the legendary establishment he had visited for decades. When he took over in 2022, he dubbed the joint Northport’s Shipwreck Diner.

"It is an iconic place for the town," Beyersdorf said. "It’s been here 100 years. It's not mine."

Beyersdorf and the Shipwreck crew past and present celebrated the diner’s 100th anniversary Thursday evening with a catered outdoor bash that drew longtime customers, fellow business owners, local elected officials and, of course, former owner Tim Hess, who greeted everyone he passed at the celebration with a smile and a hug.

His father, Otto Hess, dubbed the joint Otto’s Shipwreck Diner when he purchased it in 1972. The younger Hess washed dishes as a 13-year-old before he took the helm 24 years later. Combined, the Hess family steered the Shipwreck for nearly half its history before the younger Hess decided he was too "old" to keep it going.

"I miss everybody horribly," Hess said. "These are all my friends, my family, I grew up with all these people ... My whole kitchen crew is still there, and [Beyersdorf] is doing a good job."

The Shipwreck is a newly minted member of a growing club of 100-year-old Northport businesses, according to Terry Reid, the executive director of the Northport Historical Society.

The organization created "The Century Award," celebrating Seymour’s Boatyard’s 100th anniversary, as well as the belated 100th birthdays of Jones Drug Store and the S. Scherer & Sons Inc. garden center. Reid teased more awards will likely be presented in the coming years, to the Northport Sweet Shop and the Northport Observer.

Northport Village Trustee Dave Weber Jr., who took over Seymour’s Boatyard in 1996, said receiving the historical society’s award last year reaffirmed "that we kept something alive in Northport that needed to be kept alive." He said the Shipwreck is equally necessary to draw a crowd to the waterfront downtown.

"People come to socialize, get together to chat about the day and enjoy the beautiful scenery," he said of the downtown. "Of course, the Shipwreck Diner plays a huge part in that. It’s a big gathering place in the morning."

Reid said she is "not surprised" so many Northport spots reach their centennial. After all, the trolley tracks the that Shipwreck Diner, an old diner trolley car, rode in on, still run down Main Street. 

"All the residents here really value history," Reid said. "Being able to present awards like this brings awareness not only to the businesses, but lets the citizens know about our shared, common history."

Employees and patrons alike say the diner lasted so long due to its family atmosphere.

"It’s like home," said Millie Templeton, who started waitressing at the diner three years ago after being a lifelong patron. "It’s all locals, all regulars that come in. They love it. Everybody thinks it’s their home."

But Beyersdorf knows you also need great food, or folks will socialize somewhere else.

"I think over the years, whoever has owned or cooked at the Shipwreck has maintained consistency, great food at a great price. As long as you do that, everybody’s happy. I think the allure of the Shipwreck is the fact that people see it as a throwback, a place from way back when ... If they’re happy with the service, this place should last forever."