The Diamonds Restaurant
Villa Ridge
Franklin County
This Art Moderne restaurant building was constructed along historic Route 66 in 1950, replacing an earlier (1928) Diamonds Restaurant which had burned in 1949. In rebuilding the Diamonds, the owner created a state-of-the art restaurant in the streamlined north wing and added another purpose to the site, constructing in the adjoining north wing a truck stop with sleeping rooms and showers. The Diamonds’ advertising postcard from 1960 called it the “Worlds Largest Roadside Restaurant Serving over a million people a year…” When Interstate 44 was constructed during the 1960s, the Diamonds was moved to a new building along the new roadway, about two miles northeast of the original site. The vacated building continued to operate as a restaurant, but under new name and ownership before finally closing several years ago. Although suffering from lack of maintenance, the original 1950 building still stands as a Route 66 roadside icon. It is currently for sale and its owner has committed to list the structure on National Register of Historic Places, making it eligible for the state’s Historic Preservation Tax Credits. It is hoped that listing will attract a new owner interested in renovation of this extraordinary property.
I believe this building has been demolished. The Washington Missourian has done a few recent stories about this location.
This restaurant lives large in my memory. Our family always stopped here on our trips between Illinois and Missouri. Us kids considered it a magical place. The dining room was huge.
Mary…I have the same memories. My family moved north from Arkansas to Pennsylvania in the late 1950’s due to my Father’s work. Every year, though, we journeyed to the small town that we had moved from (Flippin, Ark.). It was always a time of “coming home”! As part of this trip, we always stopped at the “Diamond”. It was the last stop and us kids were sooooo enthralled by the place. Sorry that it is gone, but it definitely lives in my memory!!!
In the 1940’s & 1950’s, every summer we drove from our home in St. Louis to St.Clair, Mo. to our families “resort”, The OUTLOOK !! Being our Own last name was Diamond (no relation,as far as we know), it was always so very special to stop at the Diamonds on our was to St. Clair. As a small child, I remember the restaurant as a very special place, where we’d get yummy food –just for our kids treat. Thank you for the Memories