Mathews Grill & Deli will be opening soon at the site of the former Sunrise Pancake and Waffle House on Main Street in Mathews.

Hector Benitez Jr. said he expects to open the family-owned restaurant, which is an offshoot of Mi Casa Azteca Mexican Restaurant, located next door, by the end of May or early June.

The restaurant will continue to serve the traditional American breakfast it’s become known for Friday through Sunday, he said, but will now also offer an Italian-style menu of pizza, subs, pasta, steaks, seafood and burgers every day except Monday.

In addition to regular burgers, there will be specialty burgers, said Benitez, and there will be no processed foods; all burgers will be made with fresh beef.

A large selection of local and imported beers will be available for purchase, along with a variety of wines, said Benitez, adding that the restaurant will eventually have a full bar.

He said that an Italian-style restaurant is a natural for his family, since all of them worked in an Italian restaurant before they opened Mi Casa Azteca. In addition, his father and mother have experience working at a steak house in Williamsburg, while his sister worked at a breakfast place there. Benitez said he himself has been everything from a dishwasher to a cook in various restaurants. He was just 7 years old when his family moved here from El Salvador in the 1990s, and he and his two sisters spent a lot of time in the kitchen with their parents. Now his sisters are married, and their husbands work in the business, as well.

When the family opened the restaurant in Mathews five years ago, said Benitez, they never expected to have all the support that has come their way. Over the years, they’ve come to know their regulars, and can guess what they’re going to order when they come in the door.

“With some customers, we know what they want to eat, how they want it cooked, and what they want to drink,” he said.

He said they are grateful to the Mathews community for all of its support.

“Mathews County supports us, and we all work together and support our family,” Benitez said. “And we try to make every customer feel like they’re part of the family.”