Lisa & Jim determined to make 'Our Place' feel like your place

LACONIA — When Jim Wyatt and Lisa Cox opened the doors to Our Place Family Restaurant on July 19, it was the beginning of a new era for the soon-to-be wed couple. However, it was hardly a step into a new industry for them, as the two have more than 40 years of experience of working at the venerable downtown Soda Shoppe, one of the city's most well-established eateries.

Wyatt, who started as a dishwasher at the Soda Shoppe when he was a teenager, soon found his way behind the grill and spent more than 25 years in the restaurant's kitchen. Cox waited tables there for 18 years. When it came time for them to cut the Soda Shoppe's apron strings – "It was time for us to work for ourselves," said Cox – they decided to create a restaurant that was, as Wyatt said, "a little bit of home."

Cox and Wyatt, who started dating about seven years ago, said they had been thinking for years about starting their own place. As they visited various eateries and compared notes about their likes and dislikes, it became clear that their restaurant would feel familiar and comfortable to their patrons, whether they were first-time visitors or daily regulars.

"We like the family feel, the homey feel," said Wyatt.

"We want them to come in, relax, have a good meal at a good price," said Cox.

Diners have responded. Their first several days were successful and busy, a little busier than they expected. Our Place Family Restaurant, open seven days per week from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., is located at 981 Union Avenue (just south of the Start Street intersection) and seats 50. They've been surprised by the weekend breakfast crowd and the amount of take-out business they've done. "We've seen a lot of familiar faces, we've seen a lot of new faces, too," said Cox.

Their menu features American breakfast and lunch standards with a few oddball specials available. Pricing was carefully built so that diners can eat for $10 or less per person. The most expensive item, prime rib and eggs, costs $10.99, most items are several dollars less.

Opening and running a restaurant has proven even more exhausting than Cox and Wyatt anticipated. Thanks to hours of labor supplied by friends and family, they were able to open, and they say the work has been well worth the prize of controlling their own destiny. "If we're unhappy with something, we can fix it. To come here and do our own thing, it's nice," said Cox. "It's a lot of work, but it's worth it, it's definitely worth it."

"When we leave home, we feel like we've come home when we come here," said Wyatt. "We can't be more thankful for the patrons we have had so far, who have tried us out. Right out of the chute, they were here to support us."

"All we want is a nice family setting," Wyatt continued. "Whether you're a stranger to the town or not, you're going to feel welcome here."

CAPTION for OUR PLACE in AA:

Lisa Cox and Jim Wyatt, veteran employees of the Soda Shoppe, opened Our Place Family Restaurant in July. Their restaurant serves breakfast and lunch daily and is located on Union Avenue, just south of Stark Street, in Laconia. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)