Duane Campbell

Mel fires Alice when she takes a job as a singing messenger to help finance Tommy's education.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) is beside herself with worry when Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) runs away from home but with Flo's (POLLY HOLLIDAY) help, Tommy realizes that his mother really isn't all bad.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) introduces "SMILE" buttons in his diner to increase business and offers customers a free meal if the waitress forgets to smile. Meanwhile, Tommy's (PHILIP McKEON) enthusiasm over Alice's (LINDA LAVIN) new boyfriend (ROBERT HOGAN) almost scares him away.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) is mugged by a little old lady, he almost ends up in jail trying to prove his manhood.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) sells his diner to a land developer, he, Alice (Linda Lavin), Vera (Beth Howland), Tommy (Philip McKeon), Jolene (Celia Weston) and the diner's faithful customers reflect on the good times and bad, and how the diner and its "family" has affected their lives. Series finale.