FRANKLIN—It started as a way to pay tribute to Steve Barefoot, husband, father and grandfather who died at a young age last Thanksgiving.

The family came up with an idea of opening a restaurant to serve breakfast and lunch.

What resulted in “Pa-Pa Steve’s Restaurant” which was to serve its first breakfasts this morning.

Rich Sadler, who managed a restaurant in Smithfield for nine years, is running the establishment named for his father.

“It kind of happened in the spur of the moment,” said Sadler, who has been in and around restaurants for 17 years.

About a month ago, a food vendor who also delivers to Blackwater Restaurant and Steam Bar on Armory Drive “got to chatting” with the owners of Blackwater, Jim Councill and Bill Davis, about running the site for three meals a day. Currently, Blackwater serves dinners with some Sunday hours.

The arrangement the family worked out was to share the kitchen and some other areas at Blackwater and serve light fare from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to Sadler (who is not related to the Sadler family of NASCAR fame — “I get asked that all the time,” he said) his sister, brother-in-law, mother and most anyone else in the family has pitched in to get the business off the ground.

“It’s been a group effort,” Sadler said.

One hurdle could be its location on Franklin’s main retail stretch, one dotted with national chain fast-food restaurants and other well-known chains. The family’s approach in the face of such obstacles?

“Prices won’t be much different,” Sadler said. “So why not sit down in the air-conditioning, get waited on by a pretty girl and all you have to do is order.”

Breakfast will be a standard menu of eggs, biscuits, ham, bacon, hash browns and grits, to name a few.

What won’t be on the menu are waffles. Huddle House “serves waffles and we’ll serve the pancakes,” he said.

The lunch menu includes subs and sandwiches, some pasta, some chicken.

But Sadler said the owners are trying to keep an eye on their prices.

“The average Joe can come in here and eat without spending a fortune,” Sadler said.

Or, as he said, “Obviously, if we were selling plates of eggs for $20 we’d be standing here by ourselves.”

“Pa-Pa Steve’s Restaurant is located at 1200 Armory Drive. Its hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Eat-in or carry-out customers are welcome.