TV Restaurants

What Happened to Earl's Drive-In After Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Closed verified

As of September 2026, Earl's Drive-In has closed — confirmed via wivb.com, April 2019.

Primary source
wivb.com ·
Secondary source
Yelp ·

Last verified

What the source shows: WIVB, a Buffalo television news outlet, reported the former Earl's restaurant building had been demolished around April 2019; a Yelp listing updated May 2026 separately marks the business permanently closed at the same address.

  • Season / episode Season 8, Episode 9
  • Original air date
  • Address 12139 Olean Road, Chaffee, NY 14030

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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

On Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode 'Twists And Traditions' (aired 2010-03-22), the show featured Earl's Drive-In's classic American cooking and its fruit-jar soda drinks, served at a walk-up drive-in counter. The restaurant served the small hamlet of Chaffee, New York for decades before its closure, operating as a seasonal drive-in with outdoor picnic seating. WIVB, a Buffalo television news station, reported around April 2019 that the former Earl's building, closed for years by that point, was being demolished. A Yelp listing updated May 2026 separately marks the business permanently closed at 12139 Olean Road, consistent with the demolition report. A Facebook page using the Earl's Restaurant name is still online, functioning as a community memory page rather than an operating business account. No reopening or successor business was found at the address.

Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Season / episode
Season 8, Episode 9
Original air date
Episode title
Twists And Traditions
What was featured
classic American drive-in fare, including its fruit-jar soda drinks
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Earl's Drive-In

Frequently asked questions

Is Earl's Drive-In still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Earl's Drive-In has closed — confirmed via wivb.com, April 2019.

What happened to Earl's Drive-In after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

On Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode 'Twists And Traditions' (aired 2010-03-22), the show featured Earl's Drive-In's classic American cooking and its fruit-jar soda drinks, served at a walk-up drive-in counter. As of September 2026, Earl's Drive-In has closed — confirmed via wivb.com, April 2019.

Is Earl's Drive-In permanently closed?

As of September 2026, Earl's Drive-In has closed — confirmed via wivb.com, April 2019. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

Where is Earl's Drive-In located?

12139 Olean Road, Chaffee, NY 14030. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Earl's Drive-In?

Season 8, Episode 9 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired March 22, 2010. The episode is titled “Twists And Traditions”.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
12139 Olean Road, Chaffee, NY 14030
Venue type
diner
Official website
None found

Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources

  • wivb.com — https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/former-earls-restaurant-is-demolished/
  • Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/earls-drive-in-chaffee

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Record ddd-0307 · last verified .