A popular restaurant in Armstrong County will be closing its doors for good by the end of the year.
Owners of the Cadet Restaurant announced over the weekend that it would be closing on New Year’s Eve after more than seven decades of business.
“When we revived this place in 2021, the very last thing we ever imagined was having to say goodbye like this. Our family is deeply saddened, and this has been incredibly hard for us to process. Right now, we simply cannot answer questions, and we kindly ask that you please be respectful,” a social media post read. “Just know how grateful we are for every meal shared, every conversation, every memory made within these walls. Thank you for loving this place the way we do.”
The Cadet Restaurant was originally founded on March 21, 1952, by George Morda, and was originally called The Owl’s Nest.
After the restaurant announced it was closing, there was an immediate outpouring of support.
On Sunday, the restaurant did not have enough food because of how many people were stopping by to pay respects. The restaurant even had to close early so it could restock and get prepped for the rest of the week.
As the end of the year comes with the end of an era, one person returned from Florida to go back to the Cadet one last time.
“Whenever they said they were closing, I had to come back up for the closing of it,” said Bill Swank.
Over the years, everybody has gotten to know Cowboy Sam, who sits outside the restaurant and stands 30 feet tall.
Cadet Restaurant
“He kind of took over for Sam, the cop that used to be out here running around,” said Bill Simmons. “We’d do our burnouts here and then you get chased by the cops for doing the burnouts.”
Another thing customers have loved over the years is the restaurant’s famous Poorboy sandwich.
“It’s just a burger – but it’s got that special sauce on it,” said Pam Cline. “It’s got a double patty and all the lettuce and tomatoes and onions. We’ll miss the poor boy. It’s better than Big Macs.”
The Cadet closed for about 18 months during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened in 2021.
The last day of business will be Wednesday, when the doors will close at 3 p.m. for the final time.
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