DAYTON — A popular Dayton restaurant will close its doors at the end of the month.
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The owner of Carmel’s Southwest Bar and Grill announced his retirement on social media.
The restaurant has eight days left to serve its regular customers.
“The regulars have been great, I’m going to miss them all. I’m getting choked up, it’s just going to be hard,” Carmel’s employee Kathy Thompson said.
Thompson has been at the restaurant for 15 years, which makes her the longest-standing employee.
“It’s been a nice 15 years, Bob’s been a great boss,” Thompson said.
Bob Byers took over the building in 2005, but the space existed before Carmel’s did.
The structure was built in 1955 and originally housed a Parkmore restaurant.
Over the years, there have been several owners and restaurant name changes.
Now that Byers can see his career coming to an end, he is reflecting on his years of hard work.
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“Oh, my goodness it’s just overwhelming, I’ve been owning restaurants here in Dayton for over 30 years. And it’s just hard to really accept that it’s coming to an end for me,” Byers said.
On Thursday, October 12, Byers announced that Carmel’s would close down ten days later, on the 22nd.
Since the announcement, people have flooded the restaurant to get one last taste.
“Last night the weather was fine, and you couldn’t get a seat out here for an hour and a half,” Byers said.
Byers said he will miss speaking to the community he has served for decades.
“Oh my goodness the comments people made had me blubbering up a few times. With just their appreciation and wishing me the best,” Byers said.
Byers said he has a few household projects and hobbies to keep him busy as he starts retirement.
The new owners have not been revealed yet, but there will be a name change announcement for the new restaurant in the coming weeks.
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