Preserving town’s second home’ West Stockbridge eatery hopes to reopen this month

By Jane K aufman

Heather Earle, owner of Joe’s Diner in Lee, has owned the iconic eatery for more than 10 years. “I do the work,” she said, explaining her continued success. “And I won’t ask my employees to do anything I wouldn’t do.”

By Scott Stafford The Berkshire Eagle

LEE — “One of the things you learn in the restaurant business is that you never change what works.”

That’s what Joe’s Diner owner Heather Earle says when asked why she keeps the Joe’s Diner name after owning the place for more than 10 years.

“Around here, that’s an iconic name,” she said.

When she bought the diner, Earle had been in the restaurant business for 15 years. She says she stayed in the business because she likes it.

“I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’m good at what I do,” she said. “I’ve been doing it for 25 years. You learn different things over time, and I like the challenge.”

Not being one to watch from afar, Earle waits tables, works the counter, cooks, cleans and keeps the books, like a good owner should to foster a successful business.

This week, Earle, 51, is recovering from foot surgery, so she’s whipping around the restaurant on a one-legged scooter, kneeling on it with an elevated foot in a cast, with the other leg free to push the scooter. On a good day Joe’s Diner will serve 150 to 200 people. She doesn’t miss a beat.

“I’m not your typical girlie-girl,” she noted. “I do the work. And I won’t ask my employees to do anything I wouldn’t do. If you want to be successful, you step up to the plate and do what’s gotta get done.”

When she bought the place in January 2013, she kept a lot of the menu items and the décor. There were some changes to reflect the old-time diner era, but most of the wall decorations, daily specials and menu items are the same — as are many of the customers.

In fact, the regular customers are the ones who kept the place going during the pandemic by frequently ordering food to go, when other restaurants were not so lucky.

“It was a big deal that a lot of them came in during that time,” Earle said.