A 30-year staple in Northfield will serve its last plates on Saturday under its current ownership.

Peggy Westfall, 75, who opened Peggy's Lunch Box in May 1992 on Northfield Road, is retiring at the end of April.

Westfall said she hopes someone will purchase the restaurant and take over operations. Until that happens, the location will be closed after Saturday.

The longtime restaurant owner previously ran Midtown Grill in Bedford with her family and owned M&M Dairy "for years and years" before that. 

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Few things have changed at the restaurant, Westfall said.

"I've kept everything pretty much the same all these years," said Westfall, who is retiring for health reasons. "I'm old school. We always were cash, no credit cards. A lot of things, I brought in from the other restaurant.

"It's a great little location. It's been great to me all these years."

Westfall said she decided to open her own restaurant after her mother died and she "felt it was time to move on."

The restaurant itself is a small, quaint establishment nestled near a motel on the south end of the village along state Route 8. 

Omelets are among the best sellers at the restaurant, Westfall said. 

"We have a lot of different types of omelets," she said. 

However, the signature dish is A Helluva Mess, which includes a heaping pile of savories, including home fries, mushrooms, onions and the choice of several meats, which are scrambled together with three eggs. 

For those interested in a lunch option, the restaurant also is known for its Biker Burger, a half-pound of chopped sirloin with "the works," served with French fries and cole slaw. 

"That was always a very, very good seller," Westfall said.

Until about four years ago, Westfall said she often did the cooking at the restaurant. She still has been coming in on weekends.

"I couldn't do everything I used to," she said.

Her son Jim has taken over day-to-day operations at Peggy's Lunch Box.

However, she said, the restaurant has had a difficult time finding employees — a problem plaguing the industry since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago.  

Indeed, Westfall said, the pandemic — and its resulting labor shortages and rising prices — "has hit us really hard."

"The last year alone has been crazy, price-wise and food-wise," Westfall said. "The stuff you bought for $100 last week is $150 this week. Boxes that used to be $35 to $40 is now $88. Everything has gone up. Oils have gone outrageously high. Cooking oil, frying oil, has gone crazy."

Westfall said she believes the attraction to Peggy's is the old-style charm of the establishment.

"I think it's just because we are so old-school, like it used to be years ago," she said. "We have had the same customers. My customers are wonderful. Some of our customers have had kids, and their kids have had kids. It's a family restaurant."

Numerous people responded to the news on a Facebook community page about Peggy's Lunchbox closing by expressing their sorrow, along with well wishes for Westfall.

"Peggy's has been one of our favorites for years," one customer wrote.

Another person commented that Peggy's was their go-to spot when they lived in Northfield: "The waitress knew my order by heart, right down to my jelly preference and knowing I never turned down a warmup on my coffee. They truly made you feel like family there."

And one commenter said Peggy's Lunch Box had "the best bacon, egg cheese bagel.

"I will so miss it."

Those wanting to inquire about taking over Peggy's Lunch Box can call 330-467-6025 and ask for Jim. 

Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com