What's the oldest restaurant in Hamilton? How about The Bright Spot, Main East at the Delta? The sign there says "Established 1932."

There used to be several Bright Spots — two downtown, plus one at the Delta. But for the first time in 85 years, Hamilton has no Bright Spot.

I drove past there the other day and saw that the yellow-sun sign had changed. In its place, an orange one declared this address is now Breezy Corners. Definitely need to head inside.

Looks pretty much the same. Lunch counter, eight stools, plus booths. I'm soon talking to Katrina Marshall. She majored in entrepreneurship at Brock and thought about going after a pita franchise. "But then I thought I'd like to do something more creative."

She talked things over with her parents, Luke Mantin and Claudia Draper, because they knew about being in business for yourself. They were running a bed and breakfast in Cambridge that specialized in retreats for scrapbookers. Who knew there was such a thing?

Sometimes Katrina's family would meet halfway for confabs, with her coming in from St. Catharines. A handy spot was a restaurant on Highway 6 near Freelton called Breezy Corners. The place felt right.

But then it closed down. The family had to find another place. They ended up at the Bread Bar on Locke Street. It was packed and they waited half an hour for a table.

Katrina said a light bulb went off that day — running a restaurant must be a fine way to make a living, and their family could do it. They knew the failure rate is sky high, but weren't scared.

That same day, late in 2013, father Luke drove past Breezy Corners. The restaurant was dark, one car on the lot. It was the old owner and he'd been praying for someone to keep the Breezy name flying.

Katrina says her dad called her that night. "It was pure excitement." They signed a 10-year lease.

On Feb. 6, 2014, they opened. It was chaotic that day, with people waiting 45 minutes for their bacon and eggs. "But let's put it this way," Katrina says, "the community gave us a second chance."

The family pulled it together fast. There's Katrina's brother Nolan, with a passion for cooking. And her husband Taj helps, too. And they were able to hire on old staff from Breezy Corners.

The family learned to navigate the world of suppliers. The motto; everything made fresh on the premises. No frozen patties here. And keep those portions plump.

It worked. Early last year they added a second Breezy Corners in downtown Guelph.

A couple of months ago, a regular from Hamilton came by the Highway 6 restaurant and told them the Delta Bright Spot was available. For decades, it had been run by Bill Pentilchuk. But he is nearly 80 now.

Katrina and her family liked the old-school diner feel. And that space leads to a second room where they'll do casual fine dining three nights a week, with candles and crisp white table cloths.

But the focus is simpler fare. Big breakfasts. Big burgers. Consider The Big Hammer: half-pound fresh ground beef, ham, fried egg, cheddar, bacon and three onion rings served between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Price, $18.95. Calorie count, stratospheric.

Breezy Corners Hamilton has its official opening tomorrow. That stretch of Main has struggled. And an empty No Frills looms large, just across the street.

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"Some people said, 'Why would you choose that part of Hamilton?'" Katrina says. "We think it's changing."

They learned the Bright Spot history, but believed they had to change the name. "We feel we've branded ourselves," Katrina says. "And we are on a corner."

Andrea Pentilchuk, daughter of the longtime owner of the Delta Bright Spot, is now a waitress at Breezy Corners. "For my dad, it's been strange," she admits. "But we know these are good people. They're a family, too."