The closure of a beloved family-run restaurant is heartbreaking for owners and patrons alike, as the final day of service approaches this Sunday (Sept. 22).
"It's supposed to be just a business, but we left a piece of our souls here," said Thomas Grabowski, who took over running Heritage Fish and Chips 12 years ago, three years after the restaurant opened in town. "The best feeling in the world is when people appreciate what you do, and it’s hard to say goodbye to that."
The decision to close was driven by rising costs of food, labour and skyrocketing rent. Grabowski has been reluctant to keep raising menu prices, not wanting to pass the burden onto customers.
Compounding these difficulties, supply chain issues have made it hard to get basic items like sauces and root beer. “I have to run around to different stores to get what I need, and that's just not feasible when I'm also expected to be in the kitchen,” he said.
Despite surviving the pandemic, the restaurant lost a significant portion of its older customer base.
“We were hoping things would pick up after ward. It hasn’t even gotten back to 70 or 80 per cent of what it used to be,” the owner said, noting that Milton’s changing demographics have also posed challenges.
For over a decade, the restaurant staff -- which would see annual crowds on Good Friday -- has taken pride in preparing everything fresh, a hallmark that kept customers coming back.
Mike and Alana Primok, who have been making monthly visits to the Main Street spot since the early days, are among those saddened by the closure. “It’s the best fish and chips in town, truly,” Mike said, while wife Alana praised the kindness of the owners: “They’re always so welcoming, always with a smile on their face.”
Grabowski, along with wife Barbara and sons Michael and Matthew, has worked tirelessly — often seven days a week — to keep the business afloat.
“We’re all burned out,” the owner said.
His concerns extended to the staff who will lose their jobs, and local small businesses — as great supporters of the community — being pushed out in great numbers.
“People have to realize that even a small place like mine, we are the backbone of the community."
Many loyal customers have become like a family at the restaurant. One regular, who had been coming every Friday for nearly eight years, came in “to shed a tear with me” after learning of the closure.
“It was a very emotional moment,” he recalled. “It hit you in the heart.”
“We want to thank all of our customers for their loyalty and support in this tough time, and we want to thank them for all the years that they helped us and been here with us.
“We might be back, you never know.”