For a guy who’s never been in the restaurant business before, Eddy’s owner Scott Foster has done an amazing job of turning this local eatery into the “Cheers of Geist.”

“You kind of get that feeling when you walk in here,” says regular customer John Ametrano. “Everybody knows your name.”

John and his wife, Shirley Conner, eat at Eddy’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill two or three times a week. Not only do they enjoy the food, they relish the atmosphere Foster has brought to the place.

“I admire Scott. He’s got a personality that transcends anything,” Ametrano said. “When Scott says, ‘How are you?’, he really wants to know.”

Two years ago, Foster sold his photo lab (82nd St. Photo Imaging) and decided to purchase Eddy’s, a bar and grill he had frequented over the years. A professional photographer for 24 years, Foster didn’t like the direction the industry was heading. Customers were demanding digital photography, but Foster still swears by the higher quality of film. He felt as if he were turning into a computer technician instead of a photographer.

“Now I don’t even own a camera,” he says.

His real love was in meeting people and helping them create lasting memories. Turns out that’s a perfect fit for a restaurant owner!

“Scott has made Eddy’s more like a hometown restaurant,” said Ametrano, who claims if he ever fell asleep at the wheel, his Mercedes would find its way to Eddy’s all by itself. “Scott is a people person. I just think he’s great.”

Foster estimates that 90 percent of his business comes from repeat customers. “The odds are pretty good you’re going to run into a neighbor,” he says.

As a thank you to those loyal customers and neighbors, Eddy’s has been the title sponsor for the Geist Lake Fireworks for the last two years. Foster grew up near a lake in southern Michigan and always enjoyed watching the Fourth of July fireworks show.

“It’s important for the kids on this lake to have those same memories,” said Foster, who now lives in Windermere with his wife of 18 years, Heather.

Foster didn’t even see the fireworks this year because he closed early to let his employees enjoy the show while he cleaned up at Eddy’s.

He values keeping his workers happy, so they, in turn, will pass a smile onto the customers. After Foster acquired Eddy’s (the original owner’s maiden name), the first thing he did was “explain to all the servers that your customers wanted to be treated like family and friends.”

And that’s just how Geist area residents feel when they’re at Eddy’s.

“You can always come in here and know you’re going to walk out smiling,” says Shirley Conner.

Stop by, say hello to Scott, and enjoy a famous Eddy’s pork tenderloin in the ample open-air dining area. Visit Eddy’s at 11693 Fall Creek Road by the marina, and see if you don’t leave with a smile, too.

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