MANSFIELD, Ohio — It was a bittersweet day for the crew at Granter’s Grinders on Saturday, the business’s last day. The restaurant has been locally owned for 47 years and this weekend marked their last in the community.
“I’m so sad,” said employee Taylor King, who has been with the local restaurant for over a year. King said she has grown close to her crew and will miss working with them. “There’s attitudes, laughter back here and I’ll miss that. It’s real,” she added, fighting tears.
Granter’s Grinders opened the dining room on Saturday at 7 a.m. and closed at 3 p.m. Many community members came by one last time to get their favorite sandwiches and beverages. The restaurant ran out of their original sandwich, the Grinder, at 12:30 p.m.
The restaurant has provided work for some of the employees, like Julie Neal, for over five yearsl. But Neal said she is ready for what’s ahead. For her, it will be to be a stay-at-home mother.
General Manager Heather James will continue to be a liaison for the company. She said the most important lesson she has learned from working at Granter’s is learning how to deal with stress.
“I’ve learned how to manage people and situations when we’re under a great deal of stress. This is the hardest industry to work in,” shared James.
King said her job has taught her patience, a lesson that resonated with the rest of the crew as well.
“I learned so much patience, not just with customers but with everybody. You have to have patience when you’re working back here,” said King. She works as a chef, but also as a server.
Margaret Vail, a community member who takes pride in her loyalty to the restaurant, came to enjoy the dining room one last time.
“I came to Mansfield 13 years ago and I’ve been coming here ever since. It was called something different back then though,” she said.
The 91-year-old’s favorite item on the menu is her version of the BLT.
“Whatever I want they make it. I don’t eat as much as they serve, so I change it up a little bit,” she explained. “And they don’t ever treat you like you’re a pain.”
Vail said the employees were always friendly and they always remembered her name, an aspect rarely found in other restaurants, she noted.
“You can go to McDonald’s all around the world, I guess. But you never get the same feeling in those places. You feel you belong here. That’s what keeps you coming back,” she said.
For Vail, the restaurant was more than a just another restaurant.
“I don’t know where on earth I’m going to get my lunches. I can’t stay in the house all day to cook, that would be terrifying. I got to get out of the house. I come for my own mental health.”
