The End of an Era

Today is Monday and, as is my wont, I went to meet Kathy at Chiles for one last cheeseburger before I leave this Friday. But when I got there, the place was in a shambles and they definitely were not serving lunch! Hank and Conrad were running around, trying to gather up the last of their personal possessions and the new owners were running around trying to make sense of the chaos.

I know this is exactly what Hank and Conrad want ... after 11 years of running the restaurant, they are tired and want to rest. I also know they have made a good choice in the new owners, who have promised to maintain the integrity of Chiles and keep the good old standbys on the menu: burgers, chicken, etc. But the food is not the only reason we loved Chiles.

Still, it was a sad reminder that things never stay the same and their saying goodbye after so many years only emphasized what I have to do at the end of this week. I'll admit I got a little emotional as the magnitude of what I'm about to do finally hit me. Hank and Conrad seem to feel the same way; sad that their days as restauranteurs are over but happy at this fresh start to their "retirement". I use that word loosely as I can't imagine either of them standing still for a minute.