‘COVID-19 was the straw that broke the camel’s back.’ Arden Arcade diner closes for good

Arden Arcade diner Eggie’s Restaurant has closed permanently after 43 years in business, owner John Lerseth confirmed in a Facebook message Wednesday.

Lerseth began washing dishes at Eggie’s in 1978, a year after the cash-only diner opened at 1650 Fulton Ave. He continued working in various positions until buying the restaurant in 1996, and had owned it ever since.

Recently, though, Yelp reviewers said the booths were in need of repair beyond duct tape. Eggie’s remained open for takeout at the start of the shelter-in-place order, but the coronavirus pandemic proved too much of an obstacle. It’s the longest-tenured Sacramento-area restaurant to announce permanent closure since the order was issued in mid-March.

“The business peaked in the early 2000s. Many factors led to a decline over the last 5 years,” Lerseth wrote in a Facebook message. “However COVID-19 was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We had a great run.”

Open from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 2:30 on weekends, Eggie’s backed up its name with a range of omelets, benedicts, scrambles and meat-and-egg combos. The lunch menu included 16 sandwiches as well as soups, salads, burgers and entrees like chicken strips or steak frites.

A “Casa Especials” section also featured 10 or so Mexican-inspired dishes such as huevos rancheros, chorizo con papas and several kinds of burritos.

This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 1:06 PM.