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NORTON - Eleanor Mullaney has been a regular at O'Brien's Restaurant for 30 years.

The family-owned eatery on Route 123 at the Attleboro line has been like a second home since Mullaney moved to Norton.

But late next week, Mullaney will do what many do when they leave home.

Weep.

After 44-plus years, O'Brien's will close at 2 p.m. next Friday. Owner William Dennis says he is retiring 25 years after buying the restaurant from the O'Brien family. Donald O'Brien and his uncle, Thomas O'Brien, opened what has become a landmark restaurant on Dec. 17, 1963.

"It's still making money. It's doing very well, but there comes a time in your life when you can't do this anymore," Dennis said.

Dennis said he will put the 2,400-square-foot site up for sale or lease.

But, he added, "I wouldn't lease it as a restaurant, because it's beyond that."

Dennis said he'd like to see "probably a small business person" move in.

The decision is sad news for Mullaney and other regulars.

"The food is excellent. The prices are reasonable," said Mullaney, who brought three $10 gift certificates to redeem.

Dennis and his wife, Fran, were regulars themselves when the place was last for sale in 1985.

"We were just sitting in here one day having coffee, and I heard Tom O'Brien talking about it. He was my age now," said Dennis, a Foxboro resident who lived in Mansfield back then.

"I thought, 'Boy, is that guy old.'" At the time, "there were only two restaurants around here: Morin's and O'Brien's. People either went to Morin's or O'Brien's," Dennis said.

Dennis kept the O'Brien's name, menu and atmosphere.

"It really hasn't changed. It's always been a place where people come. It's been a family restaurant right from the beginning," Dennis said.

"We have tremendous customer loyalty. We reciprocated by keeping everything very reasonable. That's what people come for. The food is very good and the prices are right."

Some customers would come in just for "a hot dog for $1.35 and a glass of water," Dennis said.

The menu has changed very little.

Dennis expanded the variety of burgers, and the O'Briens "didn't have the kind of seafood selection that we have now."

Thursday, a chalkboard advertised value meals - chicken parmesan, chicken pot pie, shepard's pie, chicken tenders, turkey dinner, spaghetti and meatball, meat loaf - each for just $5.95.

Dennis said his customers came from throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

"People knew when they came here that they never had to worry," he said. "It was one of those places where everybody knew about it. That was before we had malls."

And Dennis said he rarely advertised for help.

He hired customers' children, including two of his current waitresses.

"People worked their way through college," Dennis said.

Dennis' son, Billy Jr., has run the place with his dad for the past 20 years.

Dennis' wife, Fran, also contributed to the homey atmosphere.

"She's the one who used to do all the decorating here," said Dennis, who built a small addition in 1991.

Billy is a big New York Yankees fan, which added to the fun at O'Brien's.

"When the Yankees used to win the World Series, he'd dress up in his Yankees uniform, come out and take a bow," Dennis said.

Dennis said he had 10 employees until recently.

He said he has delayed closing O'Brien's until his workers could find new jobs. He began closing on Mondays and cut back hours to 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday last week.

"I wanted to make sure everybody had a job, particularly the people who had families," Dennis said.

Dennis said nothing special is planned for O'Brien's last day.

"Just quietly close the doors," he said.

MICHAEL GELBWASSER covers Norton for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0439 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.