The legendary Harmony Lunch in Waterloo isn’t closed for good.

Nick Benninger, of Taco Farm and Uptown 21 plans to take over the grill at the iconic King Street North restaurant.

“Harmony is an institution; I grew up in the Waterloo Region and it’s just something that has always been here. I have long been a fan of the food offered up to the hungry customers of the Harmony, especially their famous mouth-watering pork sliders,” Nick Benninger said in a release. “I plan to respect the classic diner fare, while at the same time bring something new to the table.”

As for the new menu, “We plan to feature local craft beers. After all, besides pie, what goes better with diner food than beer? My menus have always supported local producers, and with so many wonderful local brewers this is a wonderful opportunity to expand upon that.”

Harmony Lunch had been owned and operated by the Marks family for 86 years and was recently sold to HIP Developments and the Melloul-Blamey Construction group.

“I believe this is a winning collaboration,” said Joel Melloul, President of Melloul-Blamey Construction Inc. “All the partners are deeply rooted in Waterloo region, so we recognize the unique place the Harmony Lunch has had in people’s hearts, and in the community.”

Only minor renovations are planned before re-opening in another four-to-five months and the classic Harmony burger isn’t going anywhere.

“We have the opportunity to not just build great new uptown projects but also invest in culture, food and music scenes to maintain and add to the vibrancy of the Waterloo core,” said Scott Higgins of HIP Developments. “We need an eclectic mix of businesses and restaurants to keep uptown the most desirable urban neighbourhood in our Region, and we’re excited that it’s one constant, will still include a classic Harmony burger!”

Nick’s brother Joe Benninger along with business partners Bob Schmalhofer and Goran Rakita are all a part of the new Harmony.

“It’s no secret that LRT construction has been tough on all the businesses in the uptown core,” said Joe Benninger. “But we are believers in the urbanization of Waterloo and the realization of the LRT is giving us the confidence to move forward with another uptown restaurant.”