Whether weary traveler or hungry local patron, Robyn’s Family Diner offers a variety of food with the aim to satiate an appetite for pancakes, burgers or steak.

The diner opened June 12, off of JD’s Truck Stop, 1655 Mayflower Road, Niles — the former location of Cosmos Galaxy Pancake House and Restaurant, which closed in April.

Robyn Schwarz said she and her fiancé, Mike Vaughn, went to eat at the former pancake house in April, when they discovered that the business had closed.

Schwarz saw an opportunity.

“I said, ‘I see potential. Let’s try it,’” Schwarz said.

Schwarz said she tackled a lot of cleaning to revitalize the restaurant, but kept the former pancake house’s quirky diamond shaped mirrors on the walls and turquoise paint job, at least for the time being.

At each table, a menu decorated with a robin waits to be picked over. The restaurant offers a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items. Including dinner items. The menu prices are mostly under $10, excluding a selection of steaks.

Among the most popular items is the mega ham sandwich, with customer’s choice of toppings.

“Most have to get a box and take the rest home,” Schwarz said.

It is a bit of an ironic menu offering, given that Schwarz herself is a vegetarian. In the coming months, Schwarz plans to offer an additional menu that features a variety of vegetarian items.

While running her own restaurant is a new venture, Schwarz said she gets advice from Vaughn, who helped his family run The Plaza Restaurant for many years in Niles.

“He would talk about [the restaurant] a lot and how it was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun,” Schwarz said. “So I was like, ‘that [opening a restaurant] would be interesting.’”

As a former waitress of four years, Schwarz said she knows the importance of getting to know the customers and makes a point of greeting those who eat at the diner. While she describes herself as “soft spoken,” she said she enjoys the chance to get to know the customers and get their feedback on the food.

“So far, there have been no complaints about food or service,” Schwarz said.

Traffic to the restaurant has been steady, but not overwhelming.

Schwarz hired seven full-time employees, several of which were former pancake house employees, including floor manager Wendy Moreland, who has been helping to show her the ropes of the restaurant business.

Schwarz also praised the knowledge and experience of kitchen manager, Bruce McPike, who brings 27 years of cooking experience to the table. Prior to his job at Robyn’s, he worked for Orchard Hills and the Berrien Country Club.

In addition to expanding the menu, Schwarz said she also hopes to eventually be a 24-hour restaurant.

“It is inexpensive, but delicious with a friendly staff,” Schwarz said.