Family recipes make the Brunch Box a popular spot

The newly opened Brunch Box, located at the former location of the Old National Road Diner, has been doing steady business according to owner Lisa Null. 

"There are lots of to-go orders and the businesses around here order," Null said. "We are very busy."

With the diner situated between New Concord and Cambridge at 3394 Glenn Highway, it's become a popular spot for commuters and truck drivers, she added.

Null has worked in construction and remodeling for the past eight years. She was always traveling for work, spending only a couple days a month at home. Null is raising her 8-year-old granddaughter Kashlynn, who was homeschooled as she traveled with her. 

Null is raising her 8-year-old granddaughter Kashlynn, who was homeschooled as she traveled with her. 

According to Null, Kashlynn needed friends and needed somewhere steady to be, so she made the decision to come back home and start something new.

"I decided she needed to go back to school and make some friends, so we came back home to our family," Null said.

The Brunch Box, which was named by Kashlynn, held a soft lunch in July and a grand opening on Oct. 25. 

Kashlynn is a big part of the dinner. She waits tables, rolls silverware, does dishes and even helps with the cooking.

"We have people for who Kash is their only servicer," Null said. "They will come in and say, 'where's my girl' and she comes out from back and waits on them. She likes cooking with me now. I have a stool back by the grill and she cooks with me in the morning before she goes to school and she cooks on the weekends with me."

The diner's food is described by Null as American tradition cuisine.

"Everything is homecooked. Everything is from scratch," Null said. "I come in every morning and make it all. It's made to order. Nothing is premade other than the specials for the day."

Null uses family recipes that have been handed down through generations. She uses her grandmother's recipes for homemade cobblers and meatballs, her mom's sloppy joes recipe, and a variety of other recipes from other family members. 

In addition to regular menu items such as cheeseburgers, shredded chicken, sloppy joes and chocolate pudding, there are daily specials such as meatloaf on Mondays, pasta on Tuesday and fishtails on Friday. 

Null noted that many of her regular customers are veterans, so she decided to donate the $389 proceeds from a raffle held during the grand opening to Veteran Affairs. 

"I just thought I would give back to them," Null said. "They are supporting me and I wanted to support them to."

The Brunch Box is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. except for  Wednesdays.