DeKALB | Every college has at least one cozy, independently run family restaurant near campus, and at NIU, perhaps the most popular one is the Junction.

A popular late-night eatery with both students and residents, The Junction Eating Place, 816 W. Lincoln Highway, has become a familiar DeKalb institution.

Hungry students can look to the Junction for a convenient spot to grab a bite to eat until at least 2 a.m. every night. In addition to the regular lunch and dinner options, patrons can order breakfast at any time.

Keeping with its namesake, the restaurant is decorated with train paraphernalia. Customers will notice an old wood-burning stove, an abundance of train memorabilia, a miniature train that runs on a suspended track around the dining room and a mural on the wall of three trains leaving a depot.

“Most people don’t know the numbers on those trains have meaning: 1969 is the year the restaurant opened, 816 is our address and 2003 is the year the murals were put up,” said daytime supervisor Chris Bahramis.

The Junction serves both new and old customers daily.

“I like that they’re a family restaurant and don’t have that chain appearance,” said Merv Mathison, 70, of DeKalb. “I’ve been a regular here for probably 10 years. My wife is usually here every morning. They know her by name already and will usually have her table set up just the way she likes before she even sits down.”

Junction waitress Jennifer Kowaluk said customer interaction and the opportunity to meet new people are what she likes most about the job.

“I would say about 75 percent of our customers are regulars,” Kowaluk said. “I think what sets us apart is our wait staff and the way we really get to know our customers.”

DeKalb’s recent smoking ban, in effect since Sept. 1, 2006, has affected the Junction’s late night customers the most, Bahramis said. But business is still up, he said.

Concerning Dekalb’s recent growth of new chains such as Chipotle and Panda Express, Bahramis said the Junction plans to take the good with the bad.

“Competition is good,” Bahramis said. “It’s not always a bad thing. It creates traffic flow and keeps us on our toes.”