After more than 60 years of serving food in Whalley, Friday (April 30) will be the final day of business for the Round Up Cafe.
It’s closing time for the daytime-only diner, owned and operated by the Springenatic family since 1959.
“The family is very sad,” said a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page Thursday evening (April 29).
“Not the way they had wanted to close the doors, but unfortunately it hasn’t been a good year for a lot of us.
“We are going to miss all of you that have walked through the doors since 1959. Some of you still grace us with your presence. There are those of you that have been coming almost everyday. And sometimes twice a day.
“It has certainly been a honour to serve you. Without all of you we probably would have closed years ago.”
Meantime, Friday is also the final day of business for Decker’s Auto Parts, which has operated on 104th Avenue in Surrey for 31 years. Operator Gary Decker has decided it’s time to retire from the business that’s been in his family for 96 years.
• STORY/VIDEO: Retiring Whalley auto parts dealer recalls a century of family business.
• RELATED STORY, from 2020: Book rounds up stories about landmark Surrey diner
News of the Round Up’s looming closure first appeared in a Now-Leader story, on April 12.
Operators say B.C.’s pandemic-triggered dining restrictions forced their hand to close their doors.
In early December, after close to eight months of closure, the landmark diner reopened. Recently, in line with provincial health orders, the restaurant has offered outdoor patio and takeout service, but no dining inside.
A chainlink fence now stretches the length of the building front on King George Boulevard, to deter people from gathering there during non-business hours.
For decades, the Round Up has been a gathering spot in Whalley. Orest and Goldie Springenatic bought the diner in 1959 and turned it into a hub for Canadian-Ukrainian meals, and more.
Prior to his death in 1995, at age 69, Orest was a trailblazer with Whalley Little League, and the restaurant became a post-game magnet for baseball players and their families, among many others in the community.
“We’ve had some great staff over the years,” said the diner’s Facebook post Thursday. “One of them being Tanya. She has decided to retire and move to Kelowna to be closer to her sons. We wish her all the best and will certainly miss seeing her on a daily basis.
“Janice will be working the floor tomorrow (Friday) and Sukhi will be your wonderful cook. Come on in and enjoy your last meal at the Roundup.
“Goldie will be there for a bit. Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones to see her.
“Again, thank you all for keeping us open these past 60 years.”
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