_{This story is from The Heights, an independent, nonprofit newspaper run by Boston College students with which the Newton Beacon has a partnership.}

Tucked into a quiet stretch of Watertown Street in Newton, Eddie’s Breakfast and Lunch seems like your typical diner: chairs lining the counter, paper menus laminated from years of use, and the background hum of the grill.

But the moment you step inside, you understand it’s more than just a restaurant—it is a place where people form decades-long routines.

The diner has been owned and run by Eddie Cimen for the past 26 years, though he has been cooking for much longer. Before opening his own restaurant, Eddie worked in another diner in Belmont for 13 years. Eventually, he decided it was time to run his own place. He bought the restaurant and, as he describes it, the whole family came with him.

“When I bought the store, my two sons, my nieces, my nephews, my wife—they all worked here,” he said, smiling.

Though his sons didn’t ultimately want to take over the business, their relationship remains close.

“If something is wrong, they come, and I help them,” he said.

The store’s walls are covered with cards and photos that showcase just how much this place means to the people they serve. Above the counter, Cimen pointed to a Christmas card—it was from a family who used to eat breakfast there regularly but had moved to Florida.

“I have a lot of old customers that stay in contact,” Cimen said. “Some people have been coming for all 26 years. This place is like family.”

Eddie’s Breakfast & Lunch has been serving Newton for 26 years. Photo by Rebecca MacKinnon for The Heights

That sense of familiarity is everywhere in the store. Cimen greeted his customers by name and wished them a good day as they walked out the door.

Cimen, who cooks all of the meals himself, elaborated on the quality of the diner’s food.

“My omelet is good,” Cimen said. “My sandwiches are good. Breakfast and lunch—everything is good.”

Running a restaurant for over two decades has brought challenges, as well. The hardest period was during COVID-19. Eddie’s closed for two weeks.

“After that, I opened again,” Cimen said. “Thank God, my regular customers came back. They supported me.”

When asked what he liked most about owning the restaurant, Cimen kept his answer simple.

“I like my people,” Cimen said. “I like talking to my customers. I enjoy them.”

Eddie’s has been a staple in the community, not just for Newton residents but also for Boston College students.

“We have Boston College students come in the morning,” Cimen said. “They’ve been coming for a while.”

In a city where restaurants open and close every semester, Eddie’s has remained a familiar place where people grow up, move away, and still send Christmas cards back home.