The VIP Diner has a new manager, and he’s in it for the long haul.

After a sale of the property fell through in 2019 and a decline in business followed, local restaurateur Barshay Muhammad stepped in and took over management of the iconic Sip Avenue diner. Now, he plans to lead the Journal Square staple into its next era.

“We’re going to be around for hopefully another 50 years,” he said.

For now, that means expanding the menu to appeal to more diets while sustaining the diner’s loyal customer base, Muhammad said.

Taking over a restaurant is different than starting your own – which Muhammad did at age 21 with Barshay’s Original Steak N’ Take on Martin Luther King Drive – but it’s a challenge he was excited to pursue, he said.

“I didn’t want to change anything,” the owner said. “When I took it over, I kept the entire staff and we still maintain the same customers.”

Last April, an announcement that the property had been sold left uncertainty about the diner’s future.

That sale never went through, according to current tax records and Chris Gratto, who has helped with the diner’s transition in management. However, the announcement that the land was sold, issued by real estate firm Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, put business on a downward spiral, Gratto said.

Holliday Fenoglio Fowler and the building’s owner Michael Pagonas did not respond to requests for comment.

Gratto, a construction project manager, has watched as a new wave of development has reached Journal Square. He learned that the operators of the VIP wanted to get out of the business when it started declining and said he wanted to save it. He had already done the same for the nearby Boulevard Drinks, he said.

“They’ve also been a long-term staple for Journal Square,” Gratto said. “These businesses are what we’re going to want open in another 20 years and it would be a shame to lose them now.”

So Gratto gave Muhammad a call.

Barshay’s Original Steak N’ Take lasted more than 30 years and expanded to locations in Georgia and Roselle. Though the original location closed, it reopened on Kennedy Boulevard about three years ago.

“The VIP came along and I just took the opportunity,” Muhammad said. “It is a challenge, but I thought that I was up to the challenge.”

Together, Muhammad and Gratto are working to modernize the more than 45-year old diner, they said.

A menu with new vegan items will launch in early March, Muhammad said. Gratto said he helped the restaurant create its first Instagram page.

“Nov. 29 was when my son and I had milkshakes there and I thought it was go time,” he said. “I was like, ‘Hey guys, you have to have an Instagram account, you have to jump in the modern world. My son had a milkshake; we’re going to put up a picture of him.’”

A more recent Instagram post features a plate with sweet potatoes, broccoli, chickpeas, avocado and Brussel sprouts. “Healthier Options Coming Soon...” the caption hints.

“As I look at the future of Journal Square and also just the future of food generally, I think more people interestingly are going to go back to what’s very much a traditional Greek breakfast,” Grotto said. “Yogurts, really good vegetables and salads.”

The diner is hosting private events and next week will have a Valentine’s Day celebration, Muhammad said. Longtime customers have remained loyal throughout the transition, he said.

But the VIP’s legacy, which includes classic foods like omelets and fries, and an appearance in “The Sopranos,” endures.

“To me, it’s a landmark,” Muhammad said. “I would love for this place to remain here forever.”