JANESVILLE — For over two decades, the scent of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon has greeted customers at the Eagle Inn Family Restaurant, 1809 Center Ave., but something will soon be missing. After a career spanning more than 40 years with the same family, waitress Penny Nuhiji is retiring.
Nuhiji, who was often the first one in to open the doors, described her departure as a “bittersweet moment.” Her loyalty and hard work, traits her bosses and customers say are irreplaceable, have left a lasting legacy.
Shawnna Shabani, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, considers Nuhiji more than an employee—she’s “family.”
“She’s like our right hand,” Shabani said. “If anything happens you know you can rely on her. She comes and opens, so she’s my main person. I have trust and faith in her.”
Nuhiji’s long history with the family began in Monroe in the 1980s. She went on to work for them at restaurants in Whitewater and Anamosa, Iowa, before arriving in Janesville. Shabani noted that Nuhiji has even known her husband longer than she has.
A true “staple” and “the opener,” Nuhiji’s love for the job stemmed from the people she served. “I love waitressing, I love my job,” she said. “I love meeting new people.”
Her dedication was especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the restaurant was forced to close for three months, they installed a drive-thru window. Nuhiji worked side-by-side with Shabani to keep the business afloat, a decision Shabani calls “the best thing that we did.”
The restaurant has become a second home for many regulars, including a man named Robert who has been a customer for at least a decade. He shows up for breakfast every weekday and always sits in Nuhiji’s section.
“She’s just a beautiful person inside and out,” Robert said, praising her as an “excellent waitress” with an “excellent heart.”
For Robert, the news of her retirement was hard. “It will be sad, definitely,” he said.
As Nuhiji looks forward to retirement, which includes helping her son with his new house, Shabani admits the restaurant won’t be the same.
“It’s going to be weird for us. It’s going to be very hard,” Shabani said. “She’s going to be very missed by everybody.”
Robert echoed the sentiment, hoping Nuhiji knows how much she means to her regulars.
“She’s just a very super person inside and out and it’s just a delight every single time to go there,” he said.
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