ESSEX — Typically, when a 95-year-old business is boarded up and covered with a huge black tarp, the news is bleak.

Not so, for Woodman's Restaurant in downtown Essex.

Woodman's employees yesterday watched as a thin black plastic wrap covered its main building to make way for the major motion picture "Grown Ups," which will film scenes in the restaurant for at least the next couple of days. The movie stars Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, and Salma Hayek, among others.

"It's exciting," said Vanessa Woodman, who is in charge of social media networking for Woodman's through its Facebook and Twitter accounts. "It was crazy, because they contacted us (Monday) morning."

Woodman said the filming started yesterday and will likely finish tomorrow, though it could spill into Friday if necessary. The crews began setting things up about 1 p.m. Monday and worked late into the night.

Then, according to one of Woodman's Twitter updates, the caterers came back to the restaurant at 3 a.m. yesterday to set up the breakfast feast to welcome the cast.

The restaurant closed to the public at 4 p.m. Monday afternoon and will remain closed until 11 a.m. Friday, pending any scheduling changes by the production company.

Tents have been set up all around the restaurant, and cars have filled up surrounding parking lots. Space is still available at the Dunkin Donuts next door, but security workers were standing close by yesterday to stop any vehicles from going onto the set.

Essex Police are working to complement the security provided by the production company, and police Chief Peter Silva said the department is taking some additional measures while the movie set is out in the open.

"We are trying to make it comfortable for the movie patrons and the residents," he said. "We encourage people to respect the privacy of the actors and the movie shoot, or else they will be redirected out of the area."

Woodman said some of the restaurant's employees have taken on new roles, including those who were cooking hot dogs and other prop foods to be used in a scene yesterday afternoon.

A casting call for extras to be in the restaurant scene was held at 9 a.m. yesterday, but everyone had already been selected from the Woodman family, restaurant employees and people outside Essex. The group totaled about 150 in all according to Cara Pratt, special events coordinator at Woodman's.

Pratt and Lauren Mears, the restaurant's assistant manager of ice cream and retail, both took part in the casting call, and said it was an exciting experience.

"We got to have our make-up and hair done," Pratt said with a smile. "And they had an extra wardrobe if we weren't wearing what they wanted."

Mears elaborated, saying that they were told by crew members beforehand to look "summer-y, like it's August."

"There was a lot of waiting around," Mears said, "but it was cool to see how the process works."

Across the street, Tom Shea's restaurant is happy to have the movie so nearby. Manager Carole Shepard said she thinks the set could attract more business, especially from peepers looking to get a glimpse of the stars.

"We're gearing up," Shepard said. "I think it'll bring some people into the town so we're putting on extra staff for the next few days."

Still, there were some hesitant faces at Tom Shea's. With the movie set right outside and the Route 133 reconstruction project coming soon, Shepard admitted she would like to see things quiet down.

"I hope it (the movie set up) doesn't go further than Friday," Shepard said. "I think four days is enough, and we'd like to get back to normalcy."

Cameron Kittle can be reached at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com