They say that when one door closes, another door opens. Late in 2025, it was announced that Letterman’s Diner in Kutztown would be closing after a nearly 40-year run.
Letterman’s closed in January 2026, but the doors didn’t remain closed for long as a former employee reopened the space as Selena’s Diner in early February. I decided to make my first visit just a week later.
It was a familiar feeling walking into the diner, the smallest full-service restaurant in Berks County with a cozy 23 seats — more than half of them stools at the 100-year-old counter. The rest are tables for two that have been shoe-horned in along the opposite wall, leaving just a narrow walkway for servers and customers to navigate.
Though the original exterior is covered in drab vinyl siding, some of the century-old charm is revealed inside. It’s most notable in the narrow wooden slats that make up the ceiling and the faded floral design that’s painted or stenciled at the seams.
The counter was nearly full when I arrived around 8:30 for a late breakfast. Instead, I grabbed a seat at the first table inside the door…