BAYSIDE - When Bob Giaimo thinks about his favorite things, polished stainless steel comes to mind. He's dreaming of good food and a fun atmosphere.

For Giaimo, remembering the past brings images of diners, milkshakes and fun with friends. That is one reason he opened the Silver Diner in 1989 in Rockville, Md.

Since then, he has opened storefronts in New Jersey and Northern Virginia. He opened his latest Silver Diner in the new Columbus Village East Shopping Center on Virginia Beach Boulevard, across from Princess Anne High School. "Diners are part of the American culture,'' said Giaimo, 49, of McLean, Va. "Today we can see everyone at a diner from a truck driver to a lawyer sitting side by side at the counter and everyone enjoys it.''

Opening the diner in Virginia Beach was two years in the making. After traveling the country visiting 500 diners to find the perfect mix of menu items and nostalgia, Giaimo came back with plans on renovating the Silver Diner image.

He added marble floors, mahogany wood booths, art-deco hanging lamps, hand chiseled stainless steel lettering and a mural detailing the life of diners in America. Tables feature a mini-jukebox, offering golden oldies for 25 cents a tune.

The menu was expanded to offer everything from specialty breakfast, lunch and dinner items to late night offerings. Entrees include spicy Thai shrimp pasta, Cajun chicken pasta, meatloaf, crab cakes and salmon. "This is more than just a '50s diner,'' he said. "This diner was designed for dinner.'' Desserts are made fresh daily, including an Oreo shake or a giant slice of chocolate cake, apple or French silk pie. The image and menu changes seemed to have worked. Since the Virginia Beach store opened June 13, it has broken company records. The 4,900-square-foot diner, which took $1.3 million to build, has averaged 10,000 people per week. "Virginia Beach has been a great location because it is so diverse,'' Giaimo said. ``We wanted to be able to include everyone in the diner experience.'' Pam Credle and her daughter, Kiara, were at the diner enjoying lunch and milkshakes. They played a song on the jukebox at their table and talked about how to spend the rest of the day together. "I remember going to diners as I was growing up,'' Credle said. "I wanted my daughter to experience the same thing. "This reminds me of the long, hot days of summer, when my family was packed in the car and we all couldn't wait to stop at a diner,'' she said. Credle plans on returning to the Silver Diner because the food is good and the prices are reasonable, she said. "This is a milkshake to die for,'' she said as she sipped the last drops.

BOB GIAMIMO, president and CEO of the Silver Diner, has opened diners in New Jersey and Northern Virginia before venturing here.

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