'He’s in here. We feel him': Brody’s Diner co-owner reflects on past

SHREWSBURY – During the holidays, amid a winning Patriots season, in a year when Mark Wahlberg filmed a movie scene at her beloved greasy spoon, Christina Gonzalez can't help reflecting on her time at Brody's Diner, her time with original owner and operator Robert "Bob" V. Ricker, and what ventures lie ahead. 

"Bob was an amazing guy. We love Bob. We constantly keep talking about Bob," Gonzalez said. "He's in here. We feel him. He's on our mind all the time." 

Ricker was the owner and operator of the Shrewsbury landmark on Route 20 for 14 years. He retired in 2022 due to illness and died on Sept. 10, 2024 , at 73. 

Gonzalez, who lives in Millbury, worked with Ricker for 15-plus years at Brody's Diner, and she's still there today. It all started when a friend told her they were hiring at the soon-to-be-opening Brody's. So she went down to check it out. 

"Bob was fixing it all up. And I just applied. And then he called me and said, 'You got a job. I don't know the hours yet because we're not open yet,' because it was in October and we didn't open until February," Gonzalez recalled. "We ended up being busy the first day we opened. So I've been working here since day one." 

Ricker – who was a T&G paperboy while he attended Shrewsbury High School – was also known for helping local children through his support of the Telegram & Gazette Santa Fund . For years, he worked with Hebert's Candy Mansion, which would give him a discount on candy bars, to raise funds for the T&G Santa. 

Ricker sold the business to Gonzalez and a not-so-silent silent partner, Frank Youkstetter, three years ago, she said. 

"Bob was the best boss. He was a father-figure to us. He worked really hard. He never took time off," Gonzalez recalled. "He had these beautiful places on the Cape and he still wouldn't take time off. He just wanted to keep working. He was just a working man." 

Gonzalez said Ricker got ill in the last three years of his life as he was working at Brody's Diner. 

"Bob was setting me up and training me to take over because he knew I wanted to take over, but he wasn't ready," Gonzalez said. "I wasn't ready yet when he asked me. We thought there was going to be more time. We didn't think it was going to be that quick. Then, he got sick. It all happened so fast." 

Ricker established a welcoming atmosphere where customers became friends and where he could be seen daily as the man behind the grill with the infectious smile. 

Gonzalez, in her leadership role, has kept that tradition alive. 

"It's like a family place. It's like going to 'Cheers.' Everybody knowns everybody," she said. "They come in here. They are treated like family and they feel like family when they leave. And the food is good too. That's a plus." 

Not only is it like family at Brody's Diner, most of Gonzalez's family works there also. 

"My whole family pretty much works here. My son cooks. Ten years he has been here, my son Michael. My niece Stephanie, my daughter Nina, and my daughter-in-law Dana, work here," Gonzalez said. "My son and my other daughter used to work here, but they moved on to something different." 

When Ricker was still alive, Brody's Diner used to go all out for Christmas. 

"We used to decorate this place. And Bob would get so excited. He would have a smile on his face and he played Santa too," Gonzalez recalled. "He loved decorating. He loved the holidays. And Christmas was his favorite. 

Brody's gained notoriety in 2014 when Jerry Seinfeld  filmed an episode  of  "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" at the restaurant.  

"It was between us and another place closer to Springfield," Gonzalez recalled.  "They called me and said, 'We would like to check out the place,' to see which one would be better." 

A day after he celebrated his 60th birthday, the Brooklyn-born comedian was chitchatting with "Parks and Recreation" star Aziz Ansari for season four of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."  

The two comedians dined (although Seinfeld mostly whined over) two bowls of oatmeal (one with blueberries), poached eggs and, of course, piping hot coffee.

Seinfeld wasn't Brody's Diner only celebrity encounter. On Oct. 8, Wahlberg filmed scenes at Brody's for his upcoming movie "Weekend Warriors." 

"As for Mark Wahlberg, he didn't come in and have something to eat," Gonzalez said. "He walked in and did four takes. He walked out, walked in. Walked out, walked in. Walked out, walked in. Walked out, walked in." 

At Brody's, Wahlberg didn't say anything, Gonzalez said. 

"He was all business. He came in. He rented the spot. He wouldn't take a picture with anybody. And he wouldn't even sign a menu," she said. "We wanted him to sign a menu. He wouldn't sign it. He was in a rush." 

As for the celebrity she would most love to see at Brody's Diner, Gonzalez said it almost happened.

"They called a couple of years after the whole Jerry Seinfeld thing. I wished. I wished. That was the one I wanted. They were going to do the second 'Equalizer' around here with Denzel [Washington]. That would have been awesome," Gonzalez said. "It was between here and another place and the other place won…He didn't do that much of a scene there. But I've heard they are doing a fourth and fifth 'Equalizer' so who knows." 

Another thing one will notice at Brody's Diner is a board with specials named after the numbers of former New England Patriots stars including Tom Brady, 12, and Julian Edelman, 11. 

While an updated breakfast roster including Drake Maye's number 10 might seem to be needed, people still like ordering from the GOAT menu, Gonzalez said.  

With the new year close approaching, Gonzalez said she has big plans for Brody's Diner in 2026.  "We want to keep it going and, hopefully, at some point we can open up the outside and extend it more," Gonzalez said. "We're going to just keep what we're doing right now and try to expand it. We can't extend and make it bigger, but we can make it better." 

If Ricker's spirit pops up during the Christmas season, like spirits tend to do during the holidays, Gonzalez feels that her former boss and mentor would like what he sees.

"We miss him. We talk about him a lot. We were talking about how he used to love decorating this place. He loved it. Every Black Friday he had to decorate for Christmas," Gonzalez said. "He loved the Christmas season. I think he would be happy with how everything's going." 

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'He's in here. We feel him': Brody's Diner co-owner reflects on past