The Foster family has owned and operated The Viking Den restaurant for the past 38 years. The oldest continuously operating restaurants in Stafford, closed its doors Dec. 30. The planned expansion of Highway 90 claims another victim in the wake.
"We lost all of our parking space" "The spread of the road was closing in on us and leaving us six parking spaces," said Vicki Bellamy, one of the Fosters' daughters. "Back in the '50s and '60s you could park on the side facing Avenue E. Then they widened Avenue E and curved it and took away the parking on that side." "Where are our customers supposed to park?"
She reflected to a scene in the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" when a small restaurant closed and dispersed the entire community." The closing of The "Viking Den will have the same impact," she said.
"We kept a big stack of Kleenex by the door for customers because people keep crying when they heard the news," said Barbara Foster, co-owner with her husband, Gene.
"No one walked in that door without a hug or a handshake from him," from Gene said Barbara.
The family atmosphere was the restaurant's signature. Some customers had five generations of family members who frequented the establishment through the years. "All customers were treated the same, like family.
The Fosters haven't taken a vacation in six years and hope to travel a bit now that the restaurant has closed.
"We have a lot of things that we want to do. It is just going to take a little while to come down from a six-day-a-week work schedule," said Barbara Foster. "We might start with just getting up in the mornings to walk in the malls."
Bloggers Note: "My family and I have enjoyed many a hamburger at this place and it is very sad to see it close."
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