Granny's Diner

Granny's Diner is a Storybrooke location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It first appears in the second episode of the first season of Once Upon a Time.

History
One night, a man, Kurt, is camping in the woods with his son, Owen. It's nearly time for dinner when a massive and dangerous storm passes over their camp site. They take cover in their tent, and in the morning, Kurt's car is crushed by a tree trunk. Taking supplies, they use a map to hike to the nearest highway, but before they can, Owen spots a town in the near distance. Kurt can't believe the sight because they drove through the same area yesterday, which was completely barren. They go into the town, Storybrooke, and are taken to the diner by the sheriff, Graham, where they meet the mayor, Regina. Regina is bothered by the outsiders' presence when she learns they will be rooming in town until Kurt's car is fixed. While she excuses her to speak privately with Graham, Granny, the owner of the town's only bed and breakfast, arranges to have a guest room for them.
 * -|During the Curse=

Regina comes by the diner again later to speak with Kurt. She notes Owen is in the seat she usually sits in, and when he has no intention of moving, Regina gives up and takes the seat next to him. She notifies Kurt that she set into order for his car to be fixed within a week. Kurt motions to Owen that it's time to leave the diner for the night. On the way out, Owen gives Regina a little present for allowing him to sit in her seat, which she is touched by.

Twenty-eight years later, Emma steps into Storybrooke, and decides to stay in town for a week. The morning after, she goes to the diner. There, she is given a free cinnamon hot chocolate by Ruby, Granny's granddaughter, who works as a waitress at the diner. Ruby says Emma has a secret admirer, and she looks behind to see Sheriff Graham sitting in a booth. Emma approaches him and says she is flattered, but is not in town to flirt. Sheriff Graham corrects her and says he did not send over the hot chocolate. Instead, it is found out to be Henry, who wanted to get her attention. He insists she walk him to school, which she does.

Mary Margaret is having an evening date with Dr. Whale. He jokingly remarks he had heard she wants fifteen kids, and she refutes the claim by stating she is only a teacher to fifteen kids. Mary Margaret does, however, go on to say she would like to get married and have children in the future. She stops herself from going further when she realizes Dr. Whale has not been listening to her. Instead, he has been ogling Ruby as she cleans a nearby table. Mary Margaret asks for the check as Ruby passes, and the date ends on a bad note.

The next day, Henry convinces Emma that Mary Margaret needs to read the Snow White fairytale from his book to the John Doe who is currently in intensive care in the hospital. Henry believes Mary Margaret is Snow White, and that John Doe is Prince Charming. Emma asks the favor of Mary Margaret, who realizes she wants to help Henry see on his own that fairytales are not real. They agree to meet the morning after at the diner for a full report.

Mary Margaret reads the fairytale to John Doe, and out of the blue in the middle of the reading, he grabs her hand. She thinks he is waking up and calls Dr. Whale to check, but John Doe remains unconscious. At the diner, Mary Margaret excitedly tells Emma and Henry what happened. She believes she got through to John Doe somehow, and she and Henry hurry back to the hospital with Emma trailing behind in astonishment.

Emma walks Henry to the bus for school, and afterwards heads into Granny's Diner for some cinnamon hot chocolate. Regina, Henry's adoptive mother, strolls in and asks how her walk with Henry was. She lets Emma know she no longer feels threatened by her presence in Storybrooke. Regina explains this is so because she knows Emma never stays anywhere too long, and cannot change even for Henry. After Regina is gone, Emma spills her hot chocolate on her shirt and goes into the diner's laundry room to wash her clothes and change into something else. There she meets Ashley, a young woman who is pregnant and due very soon. She is very distraught because no one believes she can take care of the baby. Emma says no one can tell her what to do, and if Ashley wants to change her life, she must do it herself.

Ashley takes Emma's advice literally, and breaks into Mr. Gold's pawnshop to steal back her baby's adoption papers. Afterwards, she pepper sprays Mr. Gold and seemingly disappears. He enlists Emma's help to find Ashley. Emma's efforts to look for her all lead to dead ends. She talks to Ruby at the diner and eventually figures out Ruby gave Ashley her car.

The night after Emma sees Graham sneaking out of Regina's house, and realizes he and Regina are having an affair, she begins to avoid him. She walks into Granny's Diner just in time to see Graham very drunk and throwing darts. Emma turns to leave, and he purposely throws a dart that hits the wall right next to her. Afterward, he follows her out and kisses her.

Following Graham's sudden and unexpected death, Sidney Glass runs for Sheriff. Emma fights for the job as well. A suspicious fire breaks out that nearly kills both Emma and Regina; with the evidence perpetuating Mr. Gold was the suspect who started the fire. At the election debate, Emma makes a promising and honest speech to the townspeople, and openly accuses Mr. Gold for what he did. This makes a strong impression on the townspeople since Emma is not afraid of standing up to Mr. Gold. Later, Emma glumly retreats to the diner with the expectation she lost the election when Regina and Sidney walk in to congratulate her as the new sheriff.

Mary Margaret, in her growing infatuation with David, has been going to the diner daily at 7:15 A.M. when he also comes in to get coffee for he and his wife, Kathryn. She admits to Emma that she cannot stop thinking about him, and has been watching him frequently from a distance.

Meanwhile, Regina is bothered by a stranger's appearance in Storybrooke, and the fact this man was speaking to Henry. She sends Emma to find out more information about him. Emma approaches the stranger in the diner one day. She questions him about the box he carries around. The man is amused and says not knowing would drive someone crazy. He allows her to see what is in the box on the condition he buys her a drink. A typewriter is revealed to be in the box. He claims to be a writer. As he leaves, Emma asks about the drink he was going to buy her. He says, "Sometime."

Despite the growing attraction between Mary Margaret and David, she decides to stop going to the diner at the usual time. The day she is at the diner on her own time, David happens to walk in. Once he sees Mary Margaret, he walks out. Confused, she follows him out. Mary Margaret asks what he is doing here. David says he was trying to avoid her. She admits to doing the same. They share a kiss, and unbeknownst to them, Regina is watching nearby.

After Emma breaks the curse and all Storybrooke residents, including Knave regain their Enchanted Forest memories, Mr. Gold seeks vengeance against Regina for locking Belle up for twenty-eight years by branding her as the next victim of the Wraith. While the Wraith runs loose in Storybrooke, Knave walks through town, bypassing Emma as she drives past, and heads to the diner. Ashley, who now works there as a waitress, and Leroy have just come out of the closed diner. Knave bumps into Ashley as he walks to the diner entrance, and secretly swipes a key from her. Leroy points out the diner is not open, but Knave ignores him. After they leave, he uses the key to sneak into the diner to make himself a cup of coffee. From the ground of the diner, a portal bursts forth and the White Rabbit pops out. As it turns out, the White Rabbit is looking for Alice to inform her Cyrus is alive, so Knave uses the portal to reach Alice in England.
 * -|After the Curse=

Following the Wraith attack, the whole town tries to reassemble in the aftermath. With Emma and Mary Margaret having been taken to another world by a portal, David steps in as temporary sheriff. Marco, who has been desperately trying to find the whereabouts of his son, has had no luck. While spending time at the diner, Henry walks in with David. Henry tells Marco of his son's location, to which the older man sets off to to find him. At the counter, Henry and David sit and discuss ways to get back Emma and Mary Margaret.

After a fight with Mr. Gold, Belle comes to the diner to get refuge. Ruby comes by the counter to ask if she is alright. Belle is unsure of her emotions, so Ruby offers her a place to stay and suggests she re-opens the library. Later, Belle is being taught by Ruby the names of the foods served in the diner. She also hands Belle a key to the library someone left for her.

The dwarves take to the mines to search for diamonds, which can be used to make fairy dust. David wants to use the fairy dust on a magic hat to find a way to the Enchanted Forest, where Emma and Mary Margaret are trapped. Eventually, their hard work pays off and they find the diamonds. The whole town celebrates at Granny's Diner for the night. Ruby is serving at the counter, and briefly goes to take a break. She is approached by Billy, who asks her out on a date. Ruby is hesitant to accept since she is worried about turning into a wolf during the first curse-free wolfstime. Belle notices her discomfort and rescues her from the conversation by saying they are having a girls' night out.

Emma and Mary Margaret make their long awaited return back to Storybrooke after using means of a portal from the Enchanted Forest to traverse back. In excitement to make up for lost time with their friends, they head off with Henry, David, Ruby, and the dwarves go to Granny's for lunch.

In honor of Mary Margaret and Emma's homecoming from the Enchanted Forest, Granny hosts a dinner at the diner, and all of Mary Margaret and David's friends attend, as well as Regina who is invited by Emma. She pops in carrying a tray of lasagna the other residents are not very eager to try. Leroy thinks she has doused it with poison, but she persuades him there's nothing life threatening in it, and many sample her cooking, which is quite good. Regina is able to spend a short time with Henry, who is happy to see her.

Over at the diner, Mary Margaret pores over various houses that are currently on the market in town. She longs to move out to a bigger space for herself and David. Though she asks his opinion on several houses for sale, he is disinterested in all of them. He wishes to return to the Enchanted Forest, but she cautions the land won't be the same as it was with ogres desecrating what used to be their home. David senses this might be all the more proof they need to go back to take back what is rightfully theirs. But, Mary Margaret is tired of agonizing over constant battles, and just wants to settle down.

Havoc is wrecked on Storybrooke when Regina helps to unleash a giant's wraith on humans by offering him a magic mushroom which restores him to his former mammoth size. The effects of the mushroom eventually wear off, and the giant, Anton, warily accepts the help of David and the town residents to rescue him from death. The citizens welcome Anton to their town by bringing him to the diner. Awkwardly, Anton acknowledges he will likely live in the woods, but Leroy interjects Storybrooke has all kinds of living creatures, and he will easily fit in.

Mary Margaret is very concerned about Cora's dangerous presence in town, and takes a course of action to sway Regina's mindset so she might come to the side of good. She calls Regina to the diner under false pretenses. Only when they are both seated does Mary Margaret let her know she is aware what Regina and Cora have planned in trying to steal Mr. Gold's dagger, which Regina states is none of her business. Mary Margaret affirms Regina does have a second chance, and this is the chance to pick the side of good. Regina scoffs; wondering if perhaps she has always been good until being dubbed evil. In particular, Mary Margaret wants to know why Regina is reverting to how she used to be after all the progress of trying to be good. Bitterly, she says she knows she'd never be accepted because no one in town believes she can actually change. Regina gets up to leave, but not before turning the tables and saying she is giving Mary Margaret the opportunity to stay out of her way, or else. In a last ditch attempt, Mary Margaret strongly suggests Cora does not care about Regina, or Henry, and it has always been about obtaining power. Regina retorts she wouldn't know anything about mothers; much to Mary Margaret's dismay.

Henry is extremely upset Emma and David are possibly going to resort to killing Regina because they feel there is no other way to stop the blood feud. Regina wants to kill Mary Margaret in revenge for murdering her mother, Cora, and by taking Mary Margaret's heart, she can enact the curse of the broken-hearted. The curse will grant her Henry's love, or at least make her believe she is loved. Henry runs away, but Emma follows him out and takes him to the diner. Neal is waiting at a table booth, and tries to bribe Henry with a delicious dessert, but he doesn't fall for it. Neal suggests Henry move to New York with him to keep him safe from Regina. Henry dislikes the idea, but half heartedly agrees with it. He excuses himself to the bathroom.

At the counter, Emma is having some coffee when Greg comes in. Ruby has his order ready on a tray, but he asks to have it wrapped up to go. He chats with Emma briefly; saying he is on doctor's orders to get some exercise, so he is going hiking in the woods. Emma is perplexed by his stay, and thought he might have been back in Pennsylvania now. Greg grins and says the town is growing on him; just as Ruby comes back with his bagged food, and after paying, he leaves. Emma and Ruby exchange a glance full of uncertainty.

Emma and Henry meet up with Neal in his room at the bed and breakfast, and he sends Henry off to the diner to get three cups of hot cocoa. Neal's fiancée, Tamara arrives in Storybrooke and meets Henry for the first time. Later, she seeks refugee at the diner after Neal tries to tell her about who he really is, and she does not believe him.

At a table booth, Greg Mendell is having a slice of apple pie. Regina browses by and makes small talk with him. At the same time, Emma is urgently called by Mary Margaret to meet up with her at the diner. As Mary Margaret is rushing in, she passes Regina, who is on her way out. She is momentarily stunned when Regina tells her she should try the fish special as it suits her well as a blackened soul. Shaking it off, she hurries to the counter where Emma waits. She explains August's current dilemma, and within earshot, Marco hears every word she says. The three of them make their way to find Mother Superior to give August a helping hand. Several seats down at the counter, Tamara has been listening to the conversation, and is on the prowl to investigate August's whereabouts.

Customers

 * Anton
 * August Booth
 * Bashful
 * Belle
 * Billy
 * David Nolan
 * Dr. Whale
 * Doc
 * Dopey
 * Emma Swan
 * Greg Mendell
 * Happy
 * Henry Mills
 * Kathryn Nolan
 * Knave


 * Kurt Flynn †
 * Leroy
 * Marco
 * Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Miss Ginger
 * Mother Superior
 * Mr. Clark
 * Mr. Gold
 * Neal Cassidy
 * Regina Mills
 * Sheriff Graham †
 * Sidney Glass
 * Tamara
 * Walter

Trivia

 * The wallpaper inside the diner looks like green trees.

Appearances
Granny's Diner Café Mère-Grand Granny's Diner Granny's Diner