Food for Thought: Idea for First Diner in US Cooked Up in Rhode Island

Walter Scott came up with the concept of a food wagon in the 1800s.

Friends eating fast food at the table in the diner
BGStock72
Share
Friends eating fast food at the table in the diner
BGStock72
Food for Thought: Idea for First Diner in US Cooked Up in Rhode Island
Copy

Did you know that the good old-fashioned American diner originated in Rhode Island?

Walter Scott was a pressman in Rhode Island, working first for the Providence Evening Press and then for the Morning Star. His dream of being a young entrepreneur led him to quit his job, and in 1872 he began selling food out of a horse-pulled wagon.

That led to the diner as we know it today, perfected in the early 20th century by Jerry O’Mahony.

Get the full story in the reel below.

A little bit of everything: comedy, culture, nature and a dose of AI existentialism
“Doc” Skoly joins Victor Mellor in a rare two-candidate Republican contest to challenge Rep. Seth Magaziner
Applications are due April 13, 2026
The Rams received a bid to March Madness. She received a bid to the University of Florida
This week on Possibly, we’re taking a closer look at how plastics have given the fossil fuel industry a new business platform — with hardly anyone noticing they’re even in the market
A family tradition from southern Italy has grown into a culinary calling card for a Rhode Island community