Public diners, much like public leisure centres or public transport, are part of public infrastructure – designed to make our lives better. They are state-supported restaurants serving high-quality meals at low prices for everyone. 

Public diners are different from luxury restaurants or community meals. They are everyday eating places that make it possible to eat well without breaking the bank or compromising our health. 

Public diners support equality – they allow everyone the chance to enjoy a meal in a social setting. They provide the opportunity to have a good, home cooked meal when time is too tight to prepare one yourself, when you can’t afford another expensive takeaway or when you don’t want to eat another ready meal from a plastic tray balanced on your lap. 

At a time when our diets rival smoking as the leading cause of preventable illness, we all need an easy way to enjoy good food that keeps us happy and well. 

It might come as a surprise, but public diners are not a new idea. There were 2,000+ of them in UK at their peak in the 1940s – that’s more than McDonalds today. And public diners operate successfully in other countries around the world including Poland, Turkey and Mexico. 

You can find out more about Public Diners on our fab film!