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.

September 6, 2024

Friends eating fast food at the table in the diner

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rhode Island PBS & The Public’s Radio (@rhodeislandpbs)

Allison Magnus Allison Magnus is the Social Media & Digital Producer for Rhode Island PBS. She runs all of the stations’ social media accounts and YouTube channels, creating graphics, thumbnails, reels, and trending promotional content. Allison graduated from The University of Rhode Island with a dual Film and English degree. She has been writing, directing, editing, and producing all forms of media content from short films to social media videos for almost a decade now. Previously, Allison was a radio host and general manager for WRIU 90.3 FM. In her free time, you can find Allison traveling around the world documenting her explorations.

Climate + Environment

Rhode Island quahog industry reels from ‘gut-wrenching’ sewage spill

Shellfishermen were looking to bounce back from a tough winter. Now they’re shut out from prime clam beds

May 12, 2026

Isabella Jibilian

Climate + Environment

Where did the idea of a carbon footprint come from?

“Reducing your footprint” became one of the most familiar ways to talk about climate change, but why did that framing catch on? And what does it leave out?

May 12, 2026

Megan Hall