Tribune Chronicle / Virginia Shank Eric Kilgore, executive chef at the Emerald Diner in Hubbard (left), and Heather Moldovan, general manager, stand outside the new entrance of the popular restaurant that recently reopened under new ownership. The business and much of the structure were destroyed by a fire in 2012, but the diner was rebuilt with an addition.

HUBBARD — Five years after fire ripped through the Emerald Diner, the popular railroad car is back in service.

Property owner J.P. Marsh said restoring the Hubbard landmark a second time was “a labor of love.”

“It took longer than I planned, but it’s done now and it’s open again,” Marsh said. “That’s what counts.”

This time, the dining car, which reopened in May, has a new team of engineers including Jorge Carreno, who owns the business, Heather Moldovan, the general manager, and Eric Kilgore, executive chef.

Realizing the nostalgia associated with the diner, the new operators made the effort “to stay true to the original theme” — even calling servers conductors — while updating the menu and “adding a few twists here and there,” Moldovan said.

“It’s definitely not your normal diner, or what you might think of when you think of a diner,”Moldovan. “We wanted to do something a little different, but keep some of that familiarity people, especially local residents and the community have, with the diner. We’ve kept some of the tradition, but changed things up a bit.”

The establishment has been known for its railroad theme since it opened April 10, 1995. The dining car, built by O’Mahoney Dining Car Co. in Elizabeth, N.J. in 1939, sat in a Connecticut cornfield from the 1980s until 1994 when Marsh bought it. He transported the old steam locomotive to Hubbard and started the initial restoration.

A 2012 fire destroyed the business and much of the structure, calling for a second remaking.

Carreno, who owns Margherita’s Grille, an Italian restaurant in Girard, said he had never been inside the restaurant before Marsh invited him to see it. Almost immediately, Carreno saw it was an opportunity to “expand his horizons.”

“He showed me all the work he was doing. After seeing it I knew it was something I wanted to do, a completely different concept from what I had been doing,” Carreno said.

Marsh expanded the restored railcar to include a new dining. The eatery that employs about 20 people now accommodates 91 guests. Previously, it could seat fewer than two dozen. The kitchen was also extended, the restrooms updated and the entrance moved from the front of the building to the side.

When the restaurant reopened it initially offered a variety of sliders and smaller portions as part of its updated menu. But the choices have been expanded to meet a variety of tastes, said Kilgore.

“We wanted to offer something different than what most people might think of as diner food. But some people in the community are comfortable with what they were familiar with. They knew the diner to offer certain choices and they still want that. So, we’re giving them that. But we’ve also added certain things they might not expect,” Kilgore said.

Marsh said the community is glad to see it back on track.

“Fortunately for me I was out of town during the fire,” Marsh said. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had been here. Some people were kind of thinking I was crazy to rebuild again for a second time, but I think it’s a wonderful asset for the community. Even people come in from out of town to see and eat at the dinner.”

vshank@tribtoday.com