STRATTANVILLE, Pa. (EYT) — After 30 years in business, Deb Chapman is preparing to say goodbye to her well-known diner in Strattanville.
Owner Deb Chapman recently made the decision to announce her retirement and the sale of Deb’s Diner after putting a lot of thought into it.
“I’ve just been thinking, actually for the last couple of years, if I get to 60, that would be my starting point to think about retiring,” Chapman told exploreClarion.com.
According to Chapman, after she celebrated her 60th birthday, just last week, and started considering issues like health concerns and her husband’s reluctance to continue being her maintenance man at the restaurant, she came to a decision.
“I’m just ready to retire and quit the stress. Anybody who works in the restaurant business knows the stress is pretty high some days,” she noted.
“I just want to maybe enjoy life. I want to be able to go places with the grandkids.”
Chapman said she was also concerned about the possibility of delaying the decision too long.
“I didn’t want to be that person who five or ten years from now says ‘boy, I wish I would have enjoyed my life more instead of working forever.’ A lot of people do that, and it’s sad.”
While Chapman is set in her decision, she noted it was not an easy one, and it continues to weigh on her.
“I had a couple of breakdowns yesterday. It’s tough,” she added.
The future of the restaurant, her life’s work, is also a concern.
“Really what I’m hoping for is somebody to just basically step in and keep it a hometown diner because I’ve had a lot of people that are worried that they’re going to lose their little diner.”
According to Chapman, several parties have already expressed interest in the diner, and she has several meetings set up to discuss the possibilities.
“It’s kind of up in the air right now, but whoever comes along and has the right price, I’ll have to do what I have to do. We’ll have to wait and see.”
While the future is uncertain, Chapman noted that she won’t soon forget everything the years of running the diner brought to her life.
“I’m just very thankful for all my regular customers over the years.”
Deb’s Diner actually started its run as an area business under the name Debbie’s Super Cone, which opened on April 15, 1989. It began as a small ice cream stand, serving soft serve, burgers, and hot dogs, and expanded during its second year with the full dining room and kitchen opening for business on the first day of buck season in 1990.
