Murrysville staple Dick's Diner under new ownership

Vasil Oblockovich’s work day starts about 3 a.m., when he turns on the lights in the kitchen at Dick’s Diner and starts a full day of pastry baking.

Oblockovich is part of a new team at the longtime Murrysville restaurant, which opened in 1946 and marked its 75th anniversary in 2021. It is under new ownership: Jim Fox III of Murrysville, who took over running the national Fox’s Pizza chain after his father’s death in May, was contacted by the previous owners about a year ago.

“Originally, it was just going to be a real estate deal, but we started looking into the restaurant, and, the more we did, the more we thought about keeping it going,” Fox said.

In the past month, that has meant bringing Oblockovich aboard as a pastry chef, in addition to Erik Retzer of Murrysville as a general manager.

It also has meant revamping the restaurant’s menu and look while battling a staffing shortage.

“People want it to remain a diner and have the familiar items, but we’re also adding new things to appeal to all ages of customers,” assistant manager Laurie Madden said.

“We’re going to get our bread from Mancini’s, we’ve put on music in the dining room, we’ve added some menu items and we’re putting fresh things on the menu every day,” Retzer said.

Chefs recently put a modern spin on a familiar classic, serving a creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese, but the sandwich was made using a newly acquired waffle press.

Thanks to Oblockovich, Dick’s also will maintain its well-earned reputation for dessert.

“Everything is made from scratch,” he said. “I want to keep the old-school stuff like homemade pies, but we’re also adding new things — homemade three-tier cakes, apple strudel, strawberry cream cake.”

And despite a full interior renovation while remaining open, Fox said the biggest challenge has been staffing.

“The old owners were also the cooks,” Fox said. “They were kind of the backbone of the place. We could still use about four or five additional cooks, and our biggest challenge is getting enough staff so that we can stay open during dinner hours.”

Longtime customers such as Bob Abraham, 70, of Monroeville are excited to see Dick’s Diner staying open.

“I’d bring my dad here for dinner, and I’ve been coming here close to 30 years,” Abraham said. “I travel all over the country, and, for the price, quality and service, you can’t beat it. It’s like a centerpiece of Murrysville.”

Dick’s Diner is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is closed Mondays.