SMITHS FALLS, ONT. -- A popular Smiths Falls restaurant that became a destination for customers from across the province is closing its doors for good this weekend.
Only a few roosters remain at the restaurant called the Roosteraunt in Smiths Falls, with owner Kieth Drummond saying it started with just one rooster and one hen.
"Then people started to bring roosters to us and they would travel to different countries on vacation and if they saw a rooster they would bring it back to us," Drummond said while standing in the nearly empty dining room.
At one point, the place was filled with over 400 roosters, most of them now sold as the restaurant serves up its final meals this weekend. The strip mall the Roosteraunt sits in is now beginning a redevelopment.
"The landlord met with us in late December and informed us that there was another tenant coming in that was going to take quite a few more units of this mall," Drummond said. "They needed a place for a loading ramp and the only place they could put that is where the restaurant was."
While Drummond was offered another location, his age and the amount of work the place needed were just not feasible, especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic taking a large bite out of business.
"After being shut down for seven months of the last 12, there just wasn't the reserves to be able to do that so we made the decision to just close the doors and wait out the pandemic I guess and see what happens then," Drummond said, answering phone calls from customers wanting to grab one last dinner special.
"I've loved every minute of it," Drummond said. "It's been an absolute wonderful place. I had a great relationship with all the staff. You made friends, very bonding close friends with a lot of the customers. It was just a wonderful place to be. I very much enjoyed it."
When news of the upcoming closure was posted on Facebook a few weeks ago, Drummond said he was overwhelmed by the response.
"There was over 300 comments and remarks from the announcement that we were closing. It was pretty rewarding, most rewarding," he said.
"That it's a landmark, that it's the only place in town that's a great family restaurant, they are going to miss the prime rib, they are going to miss the schnitzel, things like that," Drummond added.
Most of the meals, passed down through the family, using his mother's recipes when they opened almost two decades ago.
"I had a lot of cooking experience from my mother, who was a wonderful cook and did a lot of big functions as well from her own kitchen table so it paid off," Drummond said. "It's made some really good home-cooked meals for the restaurant to use."
Evening cook George Moncrieff says the atmosphere and large portions kept people coming back.
"There were very few that I've seen came in and had one or two meals and not came back," Montcrieff said. "I love cooking so I'm going to miss the cooking part of it. It's been a great atmosphere to work in. Customers were great, we had a great menu."
"Our real special is the schnitzel that Kieth does, that drove a lot, and then you look at our pasta dishes, the spaghetti sauce has been homemade here and it's been a good draw. Our prime rib is a big special on Saturday as well," Montcrieff added.
"They love the food, they love the atmosphere especially when you had the dine in and sitting out in the dining room and seeing the Rideau Canal looking outside, the fireplace in the wintertime," he added.
"I'll miss working in the place and we'll see what happens next."
Customers who were picking up their orders Friday afternoon said they were sad to see the Roosteraunt go.
"This has been a really regular place for us to come and have breakfast," said Janey Eckersley. "We think it's the best breakfast in town and we will be really sad to see it go."
"Sad!' said John Watt. "I liked Kieth, I liked the family. A family restaurant you can take people out too. I have a daughter in a wheelchair, it's very accessible and its a great place to come for breakfast."
"Butterscotch pie, they're world-famous! And the chicken ribs and a good old-fashioned cheeseburger," Watt added.
Beverley Bennett arrived to pick up the evening special of fish and chips, and pork schnitzel.
"It was a meeting place," Bennett said. "We really enjoyed coming here for breakfast and we knew that it was reliable food and reasonable prices. It's going to be missed very, very much."
"Sad. So sad," added Ralph Peterson. "Great spot, good food, good company, good people. Tonight we're having their famous hamburgers. The best hamburgs in town."
While Drummond said he would like to continue, he will take the time now to reflect on what was and wait for the pandemic to subside.
"I really would like to keep going. I'm not sure what that's going to be. It likely might be a restaurant again, reopen the Roosteraunt but at this point I can't say, I haven't seen that far ahead yet," said Drummond.
He said he's going to miss the customers from close and far away, some he would only see a couple times a year.
"A lot of people out of Ottawa have cottages, Gananoque, Rideau Lakes all through there and they would plan their trip to come here," he said.
"People from Toronto or western Ontario would be coming down to Ottawa for meetings, or visiting friends and relatives, they would plan their meal so that they would stop here and have a bite to eat," Drummond said. "They liked it so much, so that's very rewarding to get those kind of comments."
"Whatever success the Roosteraunt had, it was because of the staff I had and the customers that I had. Everything just seemed to melt together and work really well. So I don't claim anything more than what they provide. It's been wonderful," Drummond said, also thanking his family for supporting him throughout the years.
"My wife has done the accounting and grocery buying and I have two daughters and a son and they have worked in the restaurant here when there was a shortage of staff or a sickness," he added.
"I will reflect quite a bit. I've got a few stories and things like that I'd like to review, and by the time this pandemic is over (I'll have) my feet on the ground and ready to go."
The final prime rib special is planned for Saturday evening, and if there is enough bacon and eggs left, Drummond said they might open for the breakfast one last time on Sunday.
