Lowell's Club Diner owner ready to retire

After over 80 years in business, the iconic diner is up for sale as owner David LeVasseur looks to retire.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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The Club Diner in Lowell, Massachusetts, has been a local institution for over a century, serving as a gathering place for the city's blue-collar and white-collar workers. Now, 85-year-old owner David LeVasseur, who took over the diner from his father in 1962, is ready to retire and has put the diner up for sale. LeVasseur recounts the diner's history, from its origins in 1933 to its heyday in the mid-20th century when it was a 24-hour operation feeding Lowell's booming workforce. While the diner is now only open for breakfast, LeVasseur says potential buyers are interested in preserving its nostalgic history.

Why it matters

The Club Diner has been a beloved Lowell institution for generations, serving as a gathering place and reflecting the city's industrial past. Its potential sale and transition to new ownership raises questions about the future of small, family-owned businesses and whether the diner's iconic status and traditions will be maintained.

The details

The Club Diner was originally established in 1933 and taken over by Harry Freedman, who reopened it as "Lowell's most luxurious and newest diner." Freedman sold the diner to David LeVasseur's father, Emile, in 1938. The LeVasseur family, including David and his siblings, worked shifts at the 24-hour diner, which fed Lowell's bustling workforce of factory and blue-collar workers. When Emile LeVasseur died in 1962, David took over the business, putting his pre-dental studies at Oklahoma State University on hold. Over the decades, the diner has hosted many notable customers, including Johnny Cash. Today, the diner is only open for breakfast six days a week, but LeVasseur says it still has a loyal following for its classic diner fare like eggs and hash browns.

  • The Club Diner was originally established in 1933.
  • Harry Freedman reopened the diner in the 1930s.
  • Emile LeVasseur purchased the diner in 1938.
  • Emile LeVasseur died in 1962, and David LeVasseur took over the business.
  • The diner is currently only open from 7 to 11:30 a.m. six days a week.

The players

David LeVasseur

The 85-year-old current owner of the Club Diner, who took over the business from his father in 1962.

Emile LeVasseur

David LeVasseur's father, who purchased the Club Diner in 1938 and ran it as a 24-hour operation.

Harry Freedman

The proprietor of the Red Tavern in Methuen who reopened the Club Diner as "Lowell's most luxurious and newest diner" in the 1930s.

Arthur Turcotte

The person who placed the vintage Worcester Lunch Car that houses the Club Diner on its current site in 1933.

Ray Boutin

The local Realtor who is the listing agent for the Club Diner property.

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What they’re saying

“Everything is going.”

— David LeVasseur, Owner, Club Diner (lowellsun.com)

“Freedman reopened the Club Diner as Lowell's most luxurious and newest diner.”

— David LeVasseur, Owner, Club Diner (lowellsun.com)

“Lowell was booming at the time. There were factories and all kinds of businesses.”

— David LeVasseur, Owner, Club Diner (lowellsun.com)

“Celebrities would come in here at night. One night, Johnny Cash, the Man in Black, came in. He sat in the corner with his back to the room.”

— David LeVasseur, Owner, Club Diner (lowellsun.com)

“If you got too loud, Rita, the best no-nonsense server, would tell you to pipe down with half a smile.”

— Mikaela Hondros-McCarthy (lowellsun.com)

What’s next

Some of the people who are interested in purchasing the Club Diner want to keep it open and improve it, while maintaining the diner's iconic name and history.

The takeaway

The potential sale of the Club Diner, a beloved Lowell institution for over a century, highlights the challenges facing small, family-owned businesses in the face of changing times. However, the interest from potential buyers who want to preserve the diner's legacy suggests that the community values the diner's role in the city's history and culture.