If you ever grabbed a bite at the Swan Grill (also called Milano’s Grill) you were part of a unique chapter in Chester County’s local history. What many may not realize is that this iconic diner had quite the nomadic past, changing names and addresses several times before fading into mystery. Thanks to the Downingtown Area Historical Society, we now have a clearer picture of this traveling eatery’s journey.
The Swan Grill made its most lasting mark in Downingtown, operating beside the Swan Hotel on Brandywine Avenue from 1938 to 1954. Although a photo from the Downingtown Archive shows it labeled “Milano’s Grill,” locals fondly remember it by its earlier name. During its Downingtown years, it stood across from the Downingtown National Bank, serving up classic diner fare under the ownership of Larry Latomas, who also ran the Swan Hotel’s dining room.
Although, the story begins even earlier. The diner originally stood at an unknown location before being moved to the northwest corner of Routes 30 and 100 in Exton during the early 1930s; what would later become the site of the Exton Diner. Then, during a snowstorm in late 1938, the diner made its second big move down the Lincoln Highway to Downingtown.
In July 1953, a new chapter began when the diner reopened under the name Milano’s Grill. However, less than a year later, in August 1954, the Swan Hotel was sold, and the new owner reportedly wanted the diner removed. This led to yet another relocation, the fourth one thus far. It was hauled back to Exton and set up on the southwest corner of Route 100 and Boot Road as Al’s Diner, under the ownership of Dominick Alesiani.
Alesiani had bigger plans. In 1956, he expanded the business by adding a 12-unit motel and rebranding it as the White Crest Diner and Motel. Two years later, the original diner structure was removed and replaced by a newly constructed restaurant, marking another transformation: the Alaina Hotel-Motel. Whether the original diner was demolished or moved yet again (a potential fifth location) remains a mystery to this day.
Images preserved by the Downingtown Area Historical Society offer a rare glimpse into this journey. The featured photo captures the diner in 1953, shortly after its rebranding as Milano’s Grill. Another shows the dramatic 1954 relocation, when traffic was halted for over 30 minutes as the structure was maneuvered out of Downingtown.
Today, the site looks drastically different, but the story of the Swan Grill lives on through local memory and the work of historical preservationists.
For more fascinating stories like this, check out the Downingtown Area Historical Society.
Historical information and photographs courtesy of the Downingtown Area Historical Society. Visit them on Facebook for more local history spotlights.
