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Growing up in Long Beach N.Y. as a teenager I had worked at places with names like The Beach Burger, The Cozy Nook and of course where I met and worked with comedian BILLY CRYSTAL while I was in High School the Lido Deli, a little roadside Jewish restaurant. Billy & I would wait on customers over a counter that was higher than both of us while we would quip and joke with everyone. Not to mention of course the little luncheonette in Valley Stream N.Y. where I worked with my cousin Brian and dreamed of one day owning my own restaurant some day which would become the model for all my restaurants. My dream with my new third restaurant Boomer's Place in Lakewood Park will pay tribute to the famous eateries that each and every one of us remembers.

More than booths and stools, more than just great service, more than tasty satisfying food, the restaurants I remember as a teen were old style American restaurants where they offered an actual adventure. Outside, neon lights would welcome anyone passing by to stop in for a home cooked meal. As you sat down at your Formica covered table with Naugahyde seats you were greeted by a smiling waitress and steaming cup of coffee. A short order cook would stand at the ready to prepare your breakfast, lunch or dinner. All the food was served HOT, fresh, fast and made to order.

The restaurants that I worked at were always the focal point of our community. Here you could hear conversation mixed with the TV or music in the background. Friends would meet and discuss the day's events over cups of coffee. Businessmen would consider their latest investment over the house special. Couples would be seen relaxing into their Sunday morning plate of ham & eggs with special home fries. Romances would begin or end over a piece of homemade pie and a chocolate malt.

Whether the restaurant you remember was tucked away on a quiet street or on a busy thoroughfare, restaurants that I remember came in many shapes & sizes. There was even the roadside diner that came premade and put together in pieces after being put together in some factory. Like old cars, the classic restaurants came in all shapes and sizes. Most restaurants that I remember were always small and family owned. I have always believed that the rise of fast food restaurants began to create the demise of the family restaurant. For a while it seemed that the family restaurant was on its way to become an endangered species, but things have changed. Rebuilt, renovated home town restaurants like Boomer's Place in Lakewood Park are on the way back and hungry people will be flocking to them once again.

Having owned two restaurants in St Lucie County I have personally met some fantastic people. From construction workers to politicians to retired seniors, my wife Karen & I just love the business. I recall several times being in such places as Cozumel Mexico and having an old customer come up to me and ask "Boomer, when are you going to open again". When I stop in Butterfield Drug store the lady that hands me my prescription asks me every time she sees me " I could go for a roast beef sandwich". I stop at Riverside Bank in Lakewood Park and the tellers at the window all ask the same thing "How soon Boomer"? My wife thought that we would slide into history having created two successful restaurants. But, that was not to happen. While vacationing in Las Vegas, someone hollered across the tar mat at the Las Vegas airport "Hey Boomer" he shouted "when can I get a Boomer Burger"? That's it I said to Karen, what do you think about opening another restaurant? After listening to all the reasons why she thought that I was insane, by the time we came home she realized that just as when I opened up our first restaurant the drive was so strong that she understood this was my true passion.

If you haven't tried a diner or small restaurant experience lately, you should. At Boomer's Place you'll find the food delicious, the service excellent, the prices reasonable, and the conversation as plentiful as the fresh brewed coffee. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy what I'm sure you will agree will a trip back to St Lucie County's foremost dining adventure. Come on in, everyone's welcome........Opening Soon April 2007

Boomer's Place
4212 N. Kings Highway
Fort Pierce FL 34951