April 17, 2026, 1:08 p.m. ET
HACKENSACK — From pancakes and disco fries to soft cloth washes and detailing?
Coach House Diner, the landmark eatery on Route 4 that closed abruptly this week, has been sold to a car wash company, according to county property records.
A document filed with the Bergen County Clerk’s office on April 10 shows the 1.28-acre lot at 55 Route 4 east was sold to National Express Wash II, LLC. The National Express Wash company owns, operates and develops express car washes in the U.S., according to the company’s LinkedIn profile. An email to National Express Wash seeking comment did not receive an immediate response.
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The property, on a busy stretch of Route 4 just off Hackensack Avenue and across the highway from The Shops at Riverside, is zoned for commercial use.
The Coach House in North Bergen, which was once owned by the same family as the Hackensack restaurant, was renovated and rebranded as CH Steakhouse Bar & Diner under new ownership last year.
The Hackensack restaurant had a sign taped to its front door on April 16 announcing the closure. “This is a notice of permanent closure,” the handwritten note said. “Thank you for your loyalty and support. It has meant everything to us. We’ve been honored to serve you and be a part of this community.”
The Coach House was one of the last 24-hour diners left in North Jersey. Surviving 24-hour diners in the area include Parkway Diner in Elmwood Park, the Land & Sea Restaurant in Fair Lawn, CHit CHaT Diner in Hackensack and State Line Diner in Mahwah.
Diners have struggled in recent years. Many never recovered from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Others have struggled with rising costs and changing consumer tastes.
Many diners are located on prominent downtown corners or, like Coach House, along busy thoroughfares, making them prime targets for redevelopment.
While New Jersey is widely known as the diner capital of the world, as many as 150 diners have closed in the state in the last decade.
George, Nicholas, and John Pappas, the sons of the owner of the North Bergen Coach House, opened the Hackensack diner in October 1983. The restaurant boasted a huge neon sign out front, a full bar and salad bar and was known for its large, varied menu. The building was designed to look like an old carriage house, with wooden beams and stained glass adorning the interior.
Now, the diner is the latest of the iconic eateries in North Jersey to shut its doors.
