People will argue about the origins of food, and hamburgers are no different. And if you're looking for the oldest hamburger restaurant in America, the White Mana Diner arguably has the provenance to claim the title. It originated in 1939, not as a real restaurant, but as an exhibit at the World's Fair that demonstrated how one could make a hamburger dinner while standing in one spot, using a huge griddle and a precisely designed system. That was impressive, and in 1946, the building was transported to Jersey City, New Jersey, and became the White Mana Diner. It's been in operation ever since.
But the diner itself is not as interesting as its owner Mario Costa. He began working at the White Mana in 1972 as a teenager, and within seven years bought the business. But he also bought rental houses in the neighborhood, another restaurant with a bar, and a gym. Costa offers the gym free of charge to neighborhood kids so they can box instead of getting in trouble doing something else. He once managed Mike Tyson, and still keeps Tyson's pigeons on his roof. Costa is a community hub unto himself, overseeing all his businesses every day, and making hamburgers at the White Mana Diner. Read a fascinating profile of a young man who made good, and now works to give back to the community, at Eater.
(Image credit: Paul Lowry)
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