There was a diner close to where I used to live that had been there as far back as I could remember. It must have opened in the 1950s when charbroiled burgers were the rage because it had this big open pit behind the counter where guys in short-sleeved white shirts with cigarettes rolled into them deftly flipped patties of beef through the air and onto the flaming grill below. When these open pits fell out of favor, the place was renovated into more of a restaurant and café.