GENEVA, N.Y. — A historic Finger Lakes diner that sat abandoned for 15 years is close to finding new life. A Seneca County man who’s not much younger than the old diner has been fixing it up and there’s one final hurdle he’s hoping to overcome.  

The best things in life often come from small places — for small prices — for people with big appetites.

“Everybody likes a bargain,” said Gerry Collins, outside of his hot dog stand in Watkins Glen. “There’s not too many hot dog places around.”

Collins serves them up at an aptly named diner he built himself.

“I’m basically a mom-and-pop operation,” he said. “So I said well, I'll just build the world's smallest diner, find a little six-foot spot if we can find one.”

In a Finger Lakes town that attracts 20,000 visitors a weekend during the summer months, The World’s Smallest Diner is a really big hit.

Collins built his three-seat hot dog stand 10 years ago when he was 73.

“Basically, when you get old, you get crazy,” he mused.

Not as crazy as what sits about 25 miles away, parked outside his home. The old diner was built in 1932. Collins is seeking a new home for it.

“Oh I’m a diner guy, yeah,” he said. “This is about as old as they come.”

What was originally known as the Texaco Grill was located in Geneva. It was a place where the city’s movers and shakers would hang. The first two owners had the place for a half-century. After additional ownership changes and name changes, it closed for good in 2004.

“So, it has its history,” said Collins.

There's a hotel now where the diner used to be when it was moved from its original downtown spot. The old diner was taken to behind Geneva's sewage treatment plant, where it stayed for 15 years. Gerry bought it for $100. By then, the old diner was in rough shape.

“The only thing here was the counter and the stools,” he said.

Collins has spent the past five years restoring it.

“I just was looking for a project to do in my old age, besides sitting around watching YouTube, which I do anyway,” he laughed.

Earlier this year, Collins pitched an idea to bring the diner back to Geneva. It was met with a favorable response. Now, Geneva city planners are working to find a new spot.

“Yeah, it’ll be my basically last hurrah,” said Collins. “I certainly wouldn’t attempt anything like this again.”

After all, Collins already has enough to keep him busy, like the small place that will serve cheap eats. And a bigger project — he’d like to finish soon.

“It’s a short timetable,” he laughed. “I’m 83, so I have to do something with it fairly soon. It’s ready to go somewhere.”