After 52 years, Frank's Finer Diner will close before Christmas. The Fredericton restaurant started in 1966 as a fish and chips shack on the city's exhibition grounds and later earned a reputation for its pies, '50s feel and model train.

"The first day was a Friday, I was working full time at the power commission at the time, and the first night we did $307, and a large plate of fish and chips was 50 cents," said Frank Jardine, the namesake and founder of the restaurant.

Jardine didn't own the south side business long before selling it, but he also had a Main Street location on the north side, run by his brother Ron.

That business was later sold to Marx Miles, who turned the diner into what people know today.

Frank's started as a fish and chips shack at the exhibition grounds but ended up as a diner on the north side. (Submitted by Marx Miles)

"It's kind of a fun place to bring the kids, and it's really family-oriented, so we love coming here and enjoying the atmosphere," said customer Catherine Pickard.

On Thursday, Pickard took her two daughters to the diner for breakfast.

"I like to eat here and the big play place here," Sadie Pickard said.

The 1950s feeling

Miles offered customers a money-back guarantee on the pies, which were cooked by his wife. (Ed Hunter/CBC)

The business became a staple of the community on Main Street, where kids would go to watch the model train circle the restaurant. Later the diner moved up to Two Nations Crossing, where it is now.

Miles was a collector, adding pictures of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley and the model trains.

But trains weren't his main focus.

"They called it the train restaurant," Miles said. "I wanted it to be the pie restaurant. There's no money in the train."

When Miles first bought the diner, the pies weren't selling. Then Miles started offering a double-your-money-back guarantee.

Miles said not many customers have ever returned a pie.

"It's good service, friendly environment, good breakfast, good food, definitely good pie," said customer James Bustard.

End of an era

Marx Miles has been the owner of Frank's Finer Diner for the past 35 years. (Ed Hunter/CBC)

Miles plans on closing the business before Christmas, leaving 12 employees without work, including some who have been at the diner for more than 20 years.

"We've had a lot of good customers over the years," Miles said. "We put up some good food, we put out some bad food, so hopefully people have good memories."

Miles said the end of the business will be bittersweet.

"It was my life but I'm looking forward to being retired," he said. "It's basically the end of an era,.

"We're something like Simpsons, Sears and Eaton's. This is a dinosaur. It's big and it's a diner and there's no alcohol involved."

Miles said he has a deal in the works to sell the building but nothing is confirmed yet.