Montville ― Locals David Bouffard and John Kamishlian stood under balloons and banners Sunday at a 50th anniversary celebration inside Herb’s Country Deli and Restaurant as they described how the diner has long been part of their weekly routine.

“We’re here every Saturday at 1:15 p.m.,” Bouffard said. “I work till noon, run home, change, grab him and come down.”

When they arrive, staff members know their names, where they’ll sit, and not to bring out creamer for their coffee, which they drink black. If they’re late, they will often receive a text message from restaurant manager Ellen Curtin asking where they are.

Herb Plotnick, who opened the restaurant at 1115 Route 32 in 1974, watched from the back of the restaurant as regular customers, servers, former servers and three generations of family members gathered to celebrate 50 years of food service ― and Plotnick’s 94th birthday.

Plotnick was moved to see people he hadn’t seen in over 30 years, many of whom gave him birthday cards with his favorite scratch-off tickets.

“They showed that they respect me,” Plotnick said.

David Ravenelle, Plotnick’s grandson, who now manages the diner with Curtin, said he could see the customers loved being there to celebrate the restaurant’s milestone.

“It’s a family,” Ravenelle said.

While many who attended had known Herb’s for many years, a newer resident, Rich Kohlbrecher, recalled the restaurant was one of the first places he came to eat after moving from New York a couple years ago.

“It was like my first real sense of community after moving to Montville,” he said.

d.drainville@theday.com