Marge's Diner

"Marge's Diner is in a space that had been many things before. We purchased Monte's Downtown from the original owners back in 2012 and had tried a few variations of restaurant concepts over the years. We knew the location was right, we just hadn't landed on a concept that worked just yet. We basically said, 'Hey, this 'Marge' thing seems to be working. What if we did a Marge's restaurant concept?' We also knew that we didn't want to compete in the dinner daypart as there are just so many other options." Dan said. "We took labor challenges, food cost challenges, and the space we had to work with and basically landed on Marge's Diner."

As for Marge's Bar and Marge's Diner, Dan says that he does take some credit, but says he also credits all the people who were part of the brainstorming process through their fruition. The next step was to decorate.

"Once we knew what we were looking for on Facebook marketplace, it became apparent there was no shortage of old, tacky s&#! that we could use to bring the concepts to life," Dan said.

If Marge's Bar is the Midwest's collection from the storage closet, Marge's Diner is the Midwest's kitchen. You're greeted with a 70s color palette ranging from earthy tones to vibrant hues in the seating to the walls. The waiting area at the front is complimented with a vintage-looking orange and brown wallpaper, the ledge behind the booths down the restaurant is lined with figurine sets of salt and pepper shakers, one wall is decorated with an array of porcelain plates, and another with hanging embroidery.

Behind the bar sits sets of retro plating and cups and other random nicknacks, ranging from semitranslucent green, purple, and blue plating, to sets of BlueCorning casserole dishes, to pairs of cute table weights.

Just as in the bar, the diner is capped with string lights hanging above, creating, again, a warm environment that evokes a feeling of nostalgia and welcomeness.

To create not only these spaces that look a certain way but make their occupants feel a certain way, there must be a level of understanding.

"Personally, atmosphere is something I take notice of when I go to a restaurant," Dan said. "The food can be the best food in the world, but if you are sitting in a stark, white room, it just isn't quite the same. Our style of food is competing in a similar arena to so many other restaurants in the area, so we knew early on we wanted atmosphere to be an important part of our entire experience. As Marge's Bar and Marge's Diner came to be, we decided to make how the space looked and felt an even bigger piece of the experience to help differentiate them."

There are truly some things you have to just go experience, and these three spots won't disappoint.

Boiler Room

210 Roberts Alley, Fargo boilerroomfargo.com

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@theboilerroomfargo

Marge's

Bar

212 Roberts Alley, Fargo boilerroomfargo.com/marge-s-bar

Search 'Marge's Bar'

@margesbarfargo

Marge's

Diner

220 Broadway N, Fargo fargomarge.com

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@marges_diner