Week in Insights: Saving ‘Historic’ NJ Diners Via Taxes Is Tough

New Jersey doesn’t just “have” diners; diners are part of the Garden State’s identity. And though lawmakers announced a plan to “save” them amid declining numbers, heightened scrutiny should be on the menu.

Under the proposal, only “historic” diners and restaurants would qualify—those with at least 25 years of continuous operation that qualify as small businesses under federal law. For restaurants to qualify, they also must be family owned. So a 24-year-old-diner or a historic restaurant owned by a group of friends won’t qualify, despite facing the same market pressures the bill is intended to offset.

Those eateries ...