There
is a large neon sign from the 1950s, standing alongside U.S. 13 in Dover,
Delaware, which marks the spot where a classic restaurant once stood. Today, it
is an empty parking lot with the footprint of a building where the restaurant once
was surrounded by a chain linked fence. The Kirby & Holloway Family
Restaurant, opened in 1948, was a gathering place for citizens of, and visitors
to, Dover. For more than sixty-five years, the restaurant had been a place
where families could celebrate a special occasion or a night out. Servicemen
from Dover Air Force Base would come in for a good meal. A fire on 2 February
2014 gutted the building. It was devastating for the community, and even elicited
comments even from a United States Senator who claimed that it was a loss for
the entire state.
Shortly
after the fire, the Historic Commission declared the undamaged sign to have
cultural and historic significance. Although he vowed to rebuild, the owner Jim
Gray passed away a few months afterwards, leaving the family to decide what to
with the Delaware institution. By July 2015, it was clear that the building
could not be saved and demolition began. Given the cost of rebuilding, and the
emotions of trying to rebuild a business that Mr. Gray had spent so much time nurturing,
there is hesitation what to do next. The family hopes to have a decision by the
second anniversary of the fire in February 2016.
