Business: Lucky Penny Diner
Address: 1224 W. Ogden Ave., Naperville
Owner: Juan Hernandez, 48, of Naperville
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Manager: Brisa Hernandez, 21, of Naperville
Years in business: 2 under Hernandez’s ownership, 6 under a previous owner
What does your business do? “We make homemade food. Breakfast and lunch,” Brisa said.
Can you order breakfast at any time? “Yes, all day.”
When are you open? “From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.”
What sets you apart? “We have vegan and gluten-free menus. … A lot of people like these. They are super popular now,” Brisa said.
What’s the background? “This restaurant has been here for eight years. The first owner was named Penny. We kept the name. My dad has owned it for two years,” Brisa said.
“I used to work with Penny,” Juan said through his daughter, who translated English to Spanish for him.
When are you busiest? “Saturday and Sunday,” Juan said.
“Last year, we were busy in the winter and summer, but now, because of the economy (it’s not as good),” Brisa said.
How do you compete with all the restaurants in Naperville? “We don’t really compete with others because every restaurant is different,” Juan said.
What do you like best about your job? “The customers,” Brisa said. “He says the same thing as me. A lot of people appreciate us. Most of my family works here. My brother. My sister. My mom. … Helping my dad, I learned a lot. I do the payroll. I learned that, didn’t know how to do it (before).”
Do you have many repeat customers? “Oh, yes. A lot. It’s like a family here,” Brisa said.
What makes this restaurant a success? “The taste of the food. Good presentation of the food. The service is good,” Juan said.
Is this a hard business? “Yes. It’s the economy,” Juan said. “Eggs are so expensive.”
“One case of eggs is $160 now. There are 30 dozen in a case. We used to pay $70 or $80 for a case,” Brisa said.
Any negatives to the job? “No. I like everything,” Juan said.
How early do you get to work? “Around 6:15 in the morning. We open at 7,” Brisa said.
Do some people come here looking for dinner? “No. I think they know because most of the customers are regulars,” Brisa said.
How many tables do you have? “Twenty tables. We have space for 120 people,” Brisa said.
Do you offer delivery? “We have Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats,” Brisa said.
Do you rent out the restaurant for parties? “We can talk about it,” Juan said.
What are some specialties? “We do make homemade coffeecakes, cornbread and doughnuts. We also do homemade soups,” Brisa said.
What challenges do you face? “We’re in the corner of the strip mall,” Brisa said.
Do you do a lot of advertising? “No. Customers tell their friends,” Juan said.
Will you open a second restaurant? “Yes, yes. I don’t know where yet, but I want to open another Lucky Penny,” Juan said.
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Any memorable stories? “We have sad stories. For example, some customers pass away. This year, seven customers have died,” Brisa said.
How many employees do you have? “Twelve,” Juan said.
Do you take reservations? “It’s a small restaurant so we don’t take reservations,” Brisa said.
Do you offer any deals? “We have a senior discount. You have to be 65 to get 15% off,” Brisa said.
What do diners say? “I’ve been coming here for years,” Chris Ryan, 56, of Naperville, said. “The food has stayed consistently the same. High quality. Delicious. Fresh. The homemade soups are awesome. … I love the chicken club. Delicious. … They’re the best people. Just good people.”
“Similar to my dad, super good food,” Connor Ryan, 23, of Naperville, said. “It’s not like one of those typical breakfast places where you have to put your name in, wait an hour. They get you in and out. Quick. There’s a nice, homey vibe in here. My favorite is the fried chicken sandwich. Outstanding. The portions are good too.”
What does a senior say? “First of all, they make delicious poached eggs. A lot of restaurants these days don’t even make poached eggs. They make the best burger around. The California burger. …. They’re the best breakfast place in all of Naperville and we’ve lived here 44 years,” John Fiduccia, 88, said.
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Always think positive. Always ask questions of everyone. Always try to be working,” Juan said.
“Try to do things by yourself to save some money,” Brisa said.
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at [email protected].