Mel's Diner is the setting for the 1976−1985 American TV series Alice. It is a fictional roadside diner on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona, that serves locals and truckers. After her husband is killed in a trucking accident, Alice packs up the car and her son, Tommy, and heads to Hollywood, dreaming of a singing career. Her car breaks down in Phoenix, forcing her to take a job at Mel's Diner, a greasy spoon where gruff owner Mel barks orders to Alice and her fellow waitresses.