About Sullivan's Diner
Our Story
In 1980, Bill Sullivan, along with his wife Rosalie Quarters-Sullivan, opened the Village Eatery on Main Street in Hudson Falls, across from the school, which is now Walgreens. It was a 14-seat, diner-type restaurant, serving 3 meals a day.
After about a year, Bill was approached by John Taylor. John and his wife Dot owned and operated a 25-seat, 24-hour diner. Having been in business for more than 30 years, John asked Bill if he would like to make a move to a larger, well-established diner at 31 Main Street, in Hudson Falls. In 1982, Bill and his wife took the opportunity and leased the ‘John and Dot Diner’, with John continuing to work for us. With Bill working as the 11-7 cook and manager, this allowed Bill and Rosalie to concentrate on the additional two shifts to keep up the 24-hour schedule.
With the business booming from the local factory workers, and the bar patrons who supported us when the local bars closed at 4:00am, Bill worked on the 3-11 shift to try and get people to think of the Diner as more than a place to eat at 3:00am, when the bars closed. Within one year, with the efforts of Bill’s right-hand chef Helen Simpson, Rosalie, and Bill’s mother, Marian Bryant (a lifetime diner working veteran), the business doubled, and the name was changed to Sullivan’s Diner.
After another year of operation a fire broke out at 33 Main Street, burning our adjacent 31 Main Street location to the ground. Devastated by the loss, we leased the empty space at 29 Main Street, a former hardware store. With the help of Rosalie and Bill’s mother, Bill’s dad retired from his job to help the diner full time. Six weeks after the fire, we were moved in, remodeled, and open for business at our present location.
So, we went to work. Bill, Rosalie, Bill’s parents, and, for about a year, John Taylor. We added Brian Davidson to manage our 3-11 shift, which then included beer and wine, and an elaborate soup and salad bar. Business was going well for about seven years, then the local factories started scaling down, or closing, bars were doing poorly as well, and the Hudson Falls Sewer Project closed parts of Main Street for months. At this point, Bill had to close the business and move on to other projects.
Then Bill, along with partner Brian Davidson, opened several restaurants and bars, lasting until 2005. Bill then took on some chef jobs, including as the chef of the restaurant at Surfside on the Lake, and helped establish the outdoor Cabana Restaurant and Bar. In 2016 Brian had a major stroke, leaving him unable to work, at least for the time being. Bill then worked for the Cirelli family of Jam and Eggs, and Cirelli’s Osterian, but still felt he wanted to do his own thing at least once more before retirement.
Fast forward; the new Sullivan’s Diner opened on April 28, 2021, back at the 29 Main Street location. At this time Bill had lost both of his parents, so he had a great deal more work on his shoulders. Rosalie, Bill’s now former wife, is still a major part of the business. She is an excellent baker, and we carry her homemade cheesecake, carrot cake, several kinds of pies, and ice cream cakes. Rosalie also compiles the Specials sheets, and menus.
Brian Davidson does what he can, decorating our large windows for the holidays, and is one of the people I can depend on to provide me with great business advice, with him planning to do more as time goes on and his health keeps improving.
With the pandemic, the costs of labor, and food, it’s been quite a challenge. But, here we are, a we want to give a big shout out to our very great and loyal customers. We will, in the future, be opening for more hours in the evening, and will be again adding beer and wine to our menu selections.
Thank you to all our staff and supporters!