Forest Park eatery Anne and Bill’s Restaurant closed this week after 46 years in business.
A location in McDonough also appears to be closed.
The restaurant, located at 1057 Main St., announced the closure on its Facebook page, attributing the closure to an extreme dip in sales.
I am saddened to say that Anne and Bill's will no longer continue to be open...our sales have dropped so low that we can not continue to operate...we have been so blessed and I know there is a reason for everything and I can't see it right now but I'm sure one day I will understand...we love all of our customers and if I could find a way I would surely do it...46 years in business says it all...this virus has taken everything I have worked so hard to hold on to...God has a plan and all I can do is trust him
I love you all and thank you for so many years of success...
Please pray for me...❤️ I can't even find the words to explain what we have been through...please pray for all of my employees as we take this step...
The Forest Park location offered takeout after closing its dining room on March 24, and opened its dining room for several days before announcing the closure.
Husband and wife Anne and Bill Kirkham opened the meat-and-three, which also served a variety of breakfast offerings and homemade desserts, in 1974. Anne and Bill’s changed locations several times, with four generations of the Kirkham family helping out at the restaurant.
"The restaurant business is in this family's blood, I guess," Anne said in a 1996 AJC article. "Bill had been in it since he was 18 years old. He learned to cook and he learned the business end from several uncles. But we didn't feel that we could afford to open our own place until our five children were almost grown."
Anne, who died in 2005, was known for befriending customers, some of whom had been patronizing the eatery for decades. Bill died in 2017.
The closure announcement garnered nearly 600 comments on Facebook, with many longtime customers sharing memories.
The restaurant is the latest in a growing list of food and beverage establishments to close their doors amid the coronavirus pandemic. Other recent closures include Panahar Bangladeshi Cuisine on Buford Highway, the Sandy Springs location of Cafe Sunflower and Blaxican in Peachtree Corners.
The AJC has reached out to restaurant ownership for comment.
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