A longtime, family restaurant in Sunbury known for its home-style cooking is closing its doors.
PJ’s Original Family Restaurant, 571 W. Cherry St., has sold to new owners who will rebrand the Sunbury staple, and it will have a new name and concept, the restaurant posted on its Facebook page. The last day for PJ’s is May 31.
The restaurant has been owned by Anthony Eisnnicher for the last nine years, but PJ’s dates back to the 1970s and has had several owners over the last six decades, Dispatch news partner NBC4/WCMH-TV first reported.
The Facebook post signed by the Eisnnicher family said it’s hard to describe what the restaurant has meant to them.
“What started as a dream became a second home – not just for me, but for so many in this community. PJ’s was never just a restaurant. It was early morning coffees, after-game meals, family dinners, familiar faces, and conversations that turned into friendships,” the post reads.
Get more Delaware County news: Subscribe to The Dispatch’s free weekly Delaware County newsletter, The Delaware Dispatch.
Multiple factors lead to Eisnnicher’s decision to sell the eatery, he told NBC4, including rising food and gas prices, labor costs and “people not wanting to work,” which led to him working seven days a week.
The family thanked the Sunbury community in the Facebook post for supporting PJ’s over the years and for allowing the restaurant to become part of their lives. They also called the past and present staff members the heart and soul of PJ’s.
“This truly feels like the end of an era. And if I’m being honest, I don’t know what comes next. But I do know this – PJ’s changed my life, and I will carry every memory, every lesson, and every relationship with me moving forward,” the post says.
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Sunbury’s beloved PJ’s Original Family Restaurant closes
Reporting by Maria DeVito, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
