Diners started in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1872, in wagons that only operated at night and that moved around to different locations like today's stainless steel coffee trucks. By the turn of the century the manufacture of these mobile, ornate lunch wagons had grown into an industry of its own, with its epicenter in nearby Worcester, Massachusetts. These small horse-drawn wagons could accommodate a few customers inside, while most stood on the curb or picked up their sandwiches and pie "on the go" at the carriage window.