Journey of a family

The closing of my family’s restaurant, Dave’s Big Eddy Diner in Narrowsburg, is the end of a six-year journey that I, my husband Dave and our two children, Logan and Tierney, embarked upon together—and it was an amazing one. The diner was so much more than a business to us; it was a vehicle for our family to spend time together and an opportunity for us all to meet some truly amazing people. For this we will be forever richer in spirit and forever thankful.

While serving up meals, we saw friendships made across the aisle, people fall in love, marry and begin families. We’ve witnessed first steps and first words, had the pleasure of hosting special birthdays and rehearsal dinners, made wedding cakes and raised our glasses to graduates and to those who passed on, all while watching our own children grow into fine young adults.

We have received an abundance of compliments, listened to people’s suggestions and a fair share of complaints too. After all, a restaurant is a service business and the reality is that as hard as you try, you can’t please everyone all of the time—but try we did.

This was so much more than a business to us; it was an extension of our home life, and our staff was an extension of our own family. Rather that just being a boss, Dave became a teacher, mentor, friend, confidant and even a surrogate dad at times to some of the finest young people I have ever known. Despite the fact that they too are losing their jobs, all have been supportive and remained with us until the very last day. Perhaps it is because Dave always found someone to cover for his younger staffers, so they could play sports, go on family vacations and take a night off for a dance or a date.

There have been many stories floating around about why we are closing. Like a game of “telephone,” what you get at the end is not exactly what was said in the first place. Some of the things we heard were a variation of our truth, completely absurd and others rather hurtful.

Long before our lease ended in November of 2004, we sought to renew it. At that time our landlords, Stanley Harper and Michael Eurey, assured us that they had every intention of offering us a new lease. In October 2004, with our lease about to expire, we inquired again about renewal, as we wanted to make certain improvements we could not make without the assurance of a lease agreement: new bathrooms and equipment that carried a high price tag.

Once the lease expired, our landlords informed us they were putting the building up for sale and that having a leased tenant would be a deterrent to a prospective buyer. We suggested that a new lease could contain a rider that would give a buyer the option of negotiating his or her own lease or give us 90 days to vacate. This was not acceptable to them, so Dave agreed to a month-to-month arrangement as a means of continuing to do what he so loves and to hold onto his source of income. We continued to operate the restaurant under this verbal agreement for the past 10 months. We did buy some of the needed equipment but couldn’t make the other improvements without a guarantee that we would be there long enough to pay for it.

Several months ago we learned that our landlords intended to open an eating establishment in the former Kelly’s Home, now called The Narrowsburg Mews. A week or two after hearing that they were unable to come to a lease agreement with the owners of that building, we received a letter stating we had to vacate by September 15, 2005. This was certainly their option; we only wished that they had told us sooner so we could have found another space. Instead they chose to send us an obligatory letter, 30 days before wanting us out. Since asking us to vacate, Mr. Harper and Mr.Eurey have announced plans to open their own restaurant in the space we have occupied for the last six years.

For the record, at no time did we ever receive notice from our landlords, written or verbal, of any violations of our lease, while it was in effect or afterwards. Nor did we receive an offer to allow us to stay on at 40 Main Street if we opened for 12 Mondays during the tourist season. What we chose to do instead was to open Wednesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch and to serve dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings. This allowed us to maintain consistently good meals as every meal served was either prepared or overseen by Dave. After all, it was called Dave’s Big Eddy Diner. To open additional hours would have required hiring an experienced chef, something that was cost prohibitive for a 45-seat restaurant.

We apologize if not being open seven days a week caused any angst for the other business owners on Main Street; that was not our intention. But restaurant work is hard, and frankly Dave needed those two days to recharge himself after being on his feet for well over 60 hours a week. And yes, in good weather, he played a few games of golf.

So the last meals were served on September 11 and we will move on. No regrets, just good friends we know we will see again soon, and often.

With thanks and friendship;

Susan, Dave, Logan and Tierney Cole