At the intersection of College Avenue and Webster Road sits a beacon. The glow of cobalt blue and red neon wrapped around a stainless steel, railroad car-shaped facility that reflects the headlights of oncoming traffic signals that the Red Hawk Diner is now serving food 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Montclair State University made history Oct. 23 when the Red Hawk Diner opened its doors as the first in the state - - and perhaps the nation - - to be built on a college campus. News of the diner has been making headlines across the nation, with articles appearing in newspapers as far west as California and far reaching as The Chronicle for Higher Education.

"It was the hard work and effort of many people that made this diner a reality," said President Susan A. Cole at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The diner is the result of a team effort by Montclair State; Sodexho, the University's dining services provider; and Kullman Industries, which built the diner.

Located behind the Student Center, the 2,775-square-foot Red Hawk Diner seats 119 people and serves traditional diner fare, from juicy burgers and fries, to thick milkshakes and tempting desserts.

At the ceremony, Cole, sporting a denim Red Hawk Diner button-down shirt over her navy blue suit, welcomed members of Montclair State's "extended family": Assemblyman Gerald Zecker, Assemblywoman Rose Heck, Clifton Councilwoman Gloria Kolodziej, Little Falls Councilman Terry Ryan, Little Falls Township Administrator William Wilk, Montclair Mayor Robert Russo and Montclair Township Manager Terry Reidy.

Zecker presented Cole with a resolution from the state legislature honoring the University for building the diner, while Harold Kullman, chairman of Kullman Industries, and Kullman COO John J. Lefkus, III presented a plaque recognizing key people from Sodexho, Kullman and Montclair State.

"The diner may not bring you happiness while you study for a mid-term or a final in the wee hours of the morning," Lefkus told students at the ceremony. "But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery."

The diner was first built in Lebanon, N.J., at the factory of Kullman Industries, a leading manufacturer of diners since 1927. It was then taken apart to make the trip to campus. Once here it was reassembled piece by piece.

During the grand opening, guests were treated to a classic bottle of Coca-Cola and French fries, and received a complimentary Red Hawk Diner coffee mug as they toured the 1950s-style diner to the tune of "Rock Around the Clock."

At the diner, nostalgia meets 21st-century technology as old-fashioned booths with chevron seating are equipped with laptop hook-up capabilities.

Also unique to the diner is the 15-Day Wall of Fame, where pictures of members of the campus community hang, changing every 15 days. "It's a take-off on Andy Warhol's ‘15 minutes of fame,' " said Nancy Carver, director of Auxiliary Enterprises. "Students, faculty and staff are invited to nominate themselves or others to be on the wall of fame."

Kevin Rakowsky of Auxiliary Enterprises said all the front booths were filled on the diner's first night of operation and the flow of customers was steady throughout the night. "The diner was busy until 5 a.m. on Wednesday," he said. "At night the diner just glows. It advertises itself."

Rakowsky asks the campus community to be patient while the kitchen crew continues training. "There is a learning curve for a couple of weeks," he said. "This is a new format never before seen on a college campus so there is no history to determine what the dining population will be like. Right now we're doing a basic menu. When the kitchen crew gets into its rhythm we will add our daily lunch and dinner specials."

In addition to enjoying breakfast, a variety of hamburgers and sandwich platters, patrons can soon enjoy more exotic dishes such as Jamaican chicken or Asian vegetable stir-fry.

"The menu is not engraved in granite," said Rakowsky. "But we need to let it run through to the spring semester so we can make changes accordingly. If more people become interested in full-course dinners, for example, we'll add them. I expect things will take on a life of their own."

In addition to Red Hawk Dollars, the diner will accept Visa, MasterCard, Diner's Club and American Express. Auxiliary Enterprises also will allow offices and departments to open accounts and will accept E-Bucks, an electronic debit plan similar to Red Hawk Dollars that can be used only at the diner.

"After all the work that went into the Red Hawk Diner, looking at the final product, it was worth the wait," said Rakowsky. "This diner will be here long after we're all gone."

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