Those two phrases have been floating through the air like balloons at child’s birthday party. Sunday marked the last day the doors of Eat’ n Park #56 in Clarksburg, West Virginia would be open to guests. By 2pm the last order was taken and at 3pm the doors locked behind the last guests as they exited the building.
From the initial announcement of the permanent closure on September 1st, the restaurant was filled with a gamut of emotions. Many were shocked by the news. After all the restaurant had been a staple of the community for nearly 30 years. Many a milkshake, slice of pie, and Superburger had been served up over those years; as local teams celebrated victories, couples young and old courted, travelers stopped to refresh during their interstate journey, and community groups held weekly meetings.
That last afternoon was like a family reunion, a celebration really: of all the marriages that had started as a cook and a server flirting over french fries, all the babies that had been welcomed, and all the cat and dog fights between co-workers that had come to be more like siblings. Fittingly many who were not scheduled to work that day came in for one last visit, including some of those couples, babies, and honorary siblings.
There was a lot of laughter as the team reminisced, which can be attributed to the culture of the company. The phrase “You don’t have to be crazy to work here-we’ll train you,” has become popular of late, but if there is anything that can be said of the group gathered on that last day it was this: “We are Family.”
There is no doubt this group will be together again soon.