The Jukebox Diner
Get ready to be whisked away to the 1950s at The Jukebox Diner (103 Epping Road, Exeter, find them on Facebook and Instagram @thejukeboxdinernh.com), a new mobile trailer concept brought to you by Newfields couple Mike and Steph Oliveira, the original owners of former Seacoast-area shops Donut Love and Comfort Baking Co. From the delicious takes on comfort classics — think burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries and milkshakes — to the oldie tunes playing as you approach the window, this diner on wheels really does feel like an authentic staple of the beloved bygone era. Even the Oliveiras’ outfits represent a simpler time. “I will have on a polka dot apron … and a bandana in my hair, and Mike wears the old-school white coat and the old chef’s hat, kind of like [how] the soda jerk guys would wear back in the day,” Steph Oliveira said. “We really wanted it to be a whole experience for people.” After selling Donut Love and Comfort Baking Co. in 2022 to spend more time with their family, the Oliveiras, who realized early in their relationship their shared love of diners and 1950s culture, looked ahead to see what they could do next — the concept that would become The Jukebox Diner was born. All summer long you can find them slinging burgers and breakfast sandwiches most Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Epping Road and Industrial Drive in Exeter, as well as at select events — follow them on social media or email thejukeboxdinernh@gmail.com for up-to-date announcements and details on their whereabouts. The Scene recently caught up with Steph Oliveira to discuss the couple’s newest foodie venture and how their first season has been going.
How long has The Jukebox Diner been around?
May 11 was our opening date.
What makes The Jukebox Diner unique?
We didn’t want you to just go up to a truck and say, ‘Oh, they have burgers.’ … With food trucks, I think what they look like is important and if they are eye-catching and clean, because then it just makes the consumer more excited to purchase from there. So between that, and the clothes we’re wearing and the music that’s playing … we really wanted you to feel like you’re stepping back in time, and maybe it will bring back memories you may have had growing up.
What is your personal favorite thing on your own menu?
The strawberry milkshakes are probably my favorite. … I loved vanilla milkshakes, but then I tried the strawberry once, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really good.’ … We do vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, and then we will start having one weekly specialty, [like] … birthday cake or a cookie or brownie-type flavor.
What is one thing that everyone should try?
The fried chicken sandwich. … It’s a hand-breaded fried chicken that comes on this amazing brioche sweet roll, [with] lettuce, tomato and pickle. It’s so crispy with the toppings, and is just perfection.
What celebrity would you like to see ordering from The Jukebox Diner?
Elvis [Presley] … for obvious reasons. That would just be amazing — maybe we’d have him sing a little tune!
What is an essential skill to running a food trailer?
Multitasking. … You definitely have to be on your game and be able to focus, take an order and just keep your mind straight and not get frazzled. … We just did an event, and I’m not even exaggerating, but it was probably a 50-foot line for five straight hours. … Multitasking is a good skill because it can be very fast-paced.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
I think, for me, it has just been creating those really special, long-lasting relationships with people who have supported us. … We’ve had businesses on the Seacoast before, and even though we stopped them, it wasn’t like people just forgot about us. They were excited that we were coming back, and excited for what was to come. So that’s been really great.
— Matt Ingersoll
Photo courtesy of Jukebox Diner
