Marcy’s Diner is under new ownership and celebrating its 30th anniversary Friday.

Mandy Lacourse, who has worked at the diner at 47 Oak St. off and on over the past 20 years, bought the business from Darla Neugebauer in January and took over the restaurant Feb. 7.

“I used to say jokingly, ‘I’m going to be Marcy when I grow up.’ And here I am,” Lacourse said.

Marcy Litman opened the diner March 8, 1989, naming it Marcy’s Breakfast and Lunch. The location has been a diner since the 1940s, when it was called Your Host, according to Lacourse, who is the fifth owner since 1989. Lacourse said that, over time, she’d like to restore its look to that of a 1940s diner.

Lacourse said she’s wanted the business for a long time. Before she worked at the diner, she used to come in regularly for breakfast. “The second I walked in here I loved it,” she said. “It felt like home. I’ve always loved this space.”

Lacourse said Litman now lives in Florida, where she started a dog rescue. She will be bringing back some of Litman’s recipes, including her chicken stew, beef stew, and the original muffin recipe. She’s also planning other changes. In May or June, she’ll open seven days a week (the diner is now closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and open for dinner on First Fridays. If the dinners go well, Lacourse said, she may start serving weekend dinners regularly.

Neugebauer, the previous owner, bought the diner with her husband, Doug, in 2011, and made news in 2015 when she yelled at a crying child. The subsequent battle between Neugebauer and the child’s parents exploded on social media. Doug Neugebauer died unexpectedly on March 10 last year.

Lacourse said she wanted to do something to honor Neugebauer on the first anniversary of his death, so on Sunday the diner will be collecting donations for the Berwick Fire Department in memory of Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes, who died last week in a fire. The diner will also donate $1 for every muffin sold that day.


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