Ada Laham, left, poses with Suki Armstrong, the new manager.
The owners of Ada’s Diner are hanging up their aprons after 20 years.
Monday will be Ada and Wilf Laham’s last day before handing the restaurant over to new owner Ion Aimers, the man behind local restaurants The Works and Zazaza Pizza.
“A lot of our regular customers are like family to us, it has been like our social life and our work life,” says Ada. “There are a lot emotions there, we are letting all that go.”
The couple is selling the business because of health concerns, after working nearly every day for 20 years.
“We need to take a day off to feel like a normal person,” she says. “We feel normal but we are always tired. So we don't get to enjoy any time we do have off.”
Herschell Sax and Mary Forester have been coming to Ada’s Diner for the past five years. The things they will miss most are the owners’ personalities, along with their food.
“I know a lot of people look at this place and think ‘oh, it is a little diner, a greasy spoon,’ but the food is really well made and I hope the new owner will be able to keep that quality,” says Sax.
New owner Aimers says there will be minimal changes made to the business over the coming months.
He says he wants to give the restaurant a fresh coat of paint and add wireless Internet.
The restaurant is located at 510 Bank St., at the corner of Bank Street and Arlington Avenue.
“Ada’s Diner has an incredible traditional value on this corner. Not only is it fabulous for the community, but it is one of the reasons that there is a community here,” says Aimers. “A lot of the businesses have transitioned here and this has not.
But what makes a restaurant successful, he said, is the people.
“Our goal is to maintain the trust and loyalty of the people who have been coming here for so long,” says Aimers. “What [Ada and Wilf] have done for the community is just phenomenal, and I think that ought to be recognized.”
After leaving the business, the Lahams say they plan on spending time with family, which includes their five children and seven grandchildren.