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Valentine Diners - Introduction

Valentine company logo.

Plan your visits to these Wichita-made diners, located all over the United States!  Here you'll find a history of Valentine Diners, see some great historic images, find diners near you, and probably get hungry thinking about diner food.

Kansans have made important contributions to the restaurant and fast food industry. One example is the Valentine diner, made in Wichita and shipped all over the United States

Valentine-made Little Chef diner.  Image courtesy of American Diner Museum.Valentines were small eight- to 12-seat diners with a limited menu, making them ideal for a one person operation. They made it possible to operate a business with very little capital.

These diners were manufactured in Wichita from the late 1930s into the mid-1970s. Sales of the buildings expanded nationwide, and soon Valentines were all over the United States. Many are still in use today.

 

Explore the Valentine story:

Entry: Valentine Diners - Introduction

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: July 2014

Date Modified: July 2014

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.