Doc's Little Gem Diner Closing

Today is the last day Doc's Little Gem Diner will be in business. The diner's owner, Francis "Doc" Good, announced that he will be closing the restaurant after owning it for 12 and a half years. Good says that he needed to build onto the diner, but can not afford to do so.

"I need to put on additional space to handle more people, and nobody is willing to spend any time or money with me to make that happen," said Good.

Several of the restaurant's regulars went to Doc's today to get one last meal before the diner shuts its doors for good tonight at ten o'clock. During the lunch hour, a seat was nearly impossible to find. One of the regulars, Jerry Wichert, says he has been going to the diner since he was a child, and will be sad to see it close.

"I hate to see Doc go," said Wichert. "He's been a good guy, great guy."

Another one of the restaurant's regulars, Frank Madden, says that he goes to Doc's almost every day, and does not see why

"It's just a darn shame it's closing," said Madden. "Doesn't seem to be any real reason for it to do that either. I know the economy isn't great, but business isn't that bad around here either."

Once the doors close tonight, Good says he and his 16 employees will have a small party to commemorate the diner.

"Tonight we're going to bring out the ashtrays and smoke," said Good. "Once we close the doors at 10 o'clock, I can do anything I want so I'm going to bring out the ashtrays. And maybe a little kickapoo joy juice. We'll have a good time."