Peabody, MA
The short history of The Little Depot Diner can be traced back to last April.

"Actually, we decided to do this on our 30th (wedding) anniversary," Jim Miles said about the choice he and his wife, Judy, made to revive a vacant diner in Peabody Square.

"We always wanted to do something," said Jim, 50. "I think everybody has a desire to do something, (has) some kind of dream."

Finding the historic lunch car behind the Peabody District Courthouse, formerly the Whistlestop Diner, inspired the Beverly couple to take action.

"We came in here and fell in love with it," Jim said. "It was such a neat little place, we thought it would be a great opportunity to do something different."

They spent every day during the three months leading up to their diner's opening on Feb. 9 uncovering the car's iconic features, peeling away layers of paint to expose vintage tile walls.

The Mileses also added original touches of flair. Order the "All Aboard" for breakfast (two eggs, two slices of bacon, two sausages, two pancakes and home fries), and a model train chugs and whistles around the walls of the tiny, 13-seat diner.

Servers wear retro uniforms, including aprons. And The Little Depot Diner advertises itself as the "Home of the Honest Cup of Coffee." The slogan refers to the self-service coffee station at the front of the restaurant and the cash transaction patrons are trusted to carry out themselves.

"We thought it would be nice for people to come in in the morning, fix their coffee, charge them 95 cents, a buck (with tax), and they can drop it in the cup and be on their way," Judy said.

Jim's a process piping contractor by trade. Judy has the background in the restaurant business. She has been a cook, waitress, bartender or manager in places throughout the North Shore.

So far, Judy has handled the cooking with help from the Mileses' son, Joe, 29. Their daughter, Jen, a Lynn schoolteacher, has worked the breakfast/lunch bar as a waitress.

"It's a family-run thing right now, (but) we obviously need to hire some help because it seems like we're pretty darn busy," Jim said.

The diner resides in a Worcester Lunch Car, built in the central Massachusetts city in 1929. The car was originally located in Lynn and briefly in Danvers. It has been in Peabody Square since 1950.

The diner will be open seven days, serving breakfast and lunch during the week and just breakfast on the weekends. Judy hopes people feel like they're taking a trip back in time.

"What's not to love about it?" Jim said. "It's a classic American diner."

Originally published online here.