EAST LANSING, Mich — Coral Gables Restaurant will close its doors at the end of the month after nearly six decades serving customers along Grand River in East Lansing.
The restaurant has been a constant presence as East Lansing has changed over the last 58 years, with new buildings and businesses reshaping the area.
WATCH: Coral Gables Restaurant closing after 58 years in East Lansing
"As time's changed, we've changed with it," said George Tesseris, co-owner of Coral Gables Restaurant.
JoEllyn Roe, a regular customer, stopped by for lunch Wednesday, one day after the closure was announced.
"This is my place," Roe said. "My brother called me from Kentucky, my sister called me from Holland, Michigan, this morning. A friend called me and asked if I was depressed and if she could help because they're taking my restaurant away."
Tesseris said he and his brother bought the restaurant 58 years ago and converted it over the years into its current form. Now co-owning the restaurant with his nephew, Stuart Vanis, the two said it's time for a change.
"You know, it's time for, possibly, a quality of life or lifestyle change at this point," Vanis said. "So we're going out while the place is still viable, and we're kind of determining when we want to do this, and we felt this was the time."
Regulars said they've made lasting memories at the restaurant over the years.
"I remember celebrating the birth of our first child," Gloria Kielbaso said.
Vanis said since announcing the closing, hearing memories from customers and workers shows the impact the restaurant has had on the community.
"People come in, and they say, 'I met my husband here,' or, 'I met my husband here.' It happens all the time," Tesseris said.
"When you read all those Facebook posts, you realize people loved this place," Vanis said. "And now you're hearing it more than you ever would because it's coming to an end."
Vanis said the community has left a lasting impact on them.
"A lot of the customers became, not quite, but very close to family," Tesseris said. "It was just a beautiful, beautiful thing."
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