In the 1950s, nearly 5,000 diners were operating in the United States. But the formula for success, which had worked for so long-good food at a fair price-was soon utilized by a new player in the food service arena: fast food. Facing competition from the chains, diners changed their look as they attempted to attract more family business. From space-aged behemoths to colonial catastrophes and Mediterranean monstrosities, this new wave of diners abandoned the familiar imagery of their past, as they attempted to look like family restaurants.