What’s lost when a family-owned diner closes for good?

theguardian.com:

It was a hot Sunday morning in June, a typical summer’s day for St George, Utah. The sun beamed through the east-facing cathedral windows of DeDe’s, the beloved restaurant that has served Washington county residents for the past decade. Link Feesago leaned back in his seat with a satisfied sigh, having just finished a plate of Kirk Orton’s chicken-fried steak, eggs, potatoes and toast. “This is a tradition I wanted to pass down to my sons,” he said. “Twice a month, we’d play nine holes of golf and have breakfast at DeDe’s cafe.”

That tradition began years ago, when Feesago’s mom treated him to lunch there. But she suffered a stroke a year ago and hadn’t been able to visit. “When DeDe found out, she made my mom’s favorite meal – a ham, mushroom and spinach omelet with Swiss cheese and a slice of cantaloupe – and delivered it to the care facility,” Feesago said. “It’s more than food. DeDe made us feel like family.”

While Feesago waited for his receipt, DeDe Orton came over and asked him, “How’d we do?” She asked everybody that, but this would be the last time she asked Feesago.

DeDe’s was closing, and that morning was Orton’s last day. When I asked Feesago where he’d take his sons next week, he echoed what the other regulars I’d spoken to over the last few weeks said: “I don’t know if it’s possible to replace DeDe’s.”

Sue Holland, a 78-year-old server with red hair and a stern-looking face, said her own future was uncertain as well. That morning, as the last orders were being prepared, the restaurant’s mementoes were being packed away. “The walls are driving me crazy,” Holland said, gesturing at the blank spaces. “I’ve worked here for 10 years and never seen them this bare.” Tomorrow she would begin looking for another job.

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