Longtime Middle Tennessee Restaurant Closes After 62 Years

Another popular restaurant in Middle Tennessee has closed its doors after serving the community for more than six decades.

Opened in 1959, Sunset Family Restaurant in Lebanon has been cooking up traditional country and Southern-inspired dishes for 62 years. On Sunday (October 10), however, it closed its doors for the last time, News Channel 5 reports. Even up until its last day, the community couldn't get enough of Sunset. On Sunday, the line was out the door as loyal customers waited to get one last bite at the longtime meat and three favorite.

"These people love us," said Virginia Hodge, who has Sunset with her husband, Robert, for 54 years. "They're showing it today."

WKRN spoke with Robert Hodge, who said he and his wife will miss the family atmosphere they have created over the years.

"We're very proud," said Hodge. "Proud of our customers, proud of our business, they been good loyal customers for years a lot of them eating here when they were babies been eating with us for a lot of years."

"It was time to stop. We're 83 years old, we need to stop, we need to rest," Virginia said, adding, "It's hard to say bye."

According to News Channel 5, the land the restaurant sits on was purchased by a developer that plans to demolish the building and possibly replace it with a car wash.