NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's a restaurant that has hosted birthdays, wedding rehearsals or just simple meals for decades, but in the coming days the Hermitage House Smorgasbord will serve up their famous fritters for the final time.
When you step inside the family owned buffet, Kathy Wells is usually the first face you see at the hostess stand. "Hey y'all, good to see ya," said Wells. "Uh oh, trouble’s coming."
But this week, she's had to put on a brave face regarding a question everyone seems to have. "When are you closing?" asked one guest on the phone. "No ma’am, we don’t have an exact last date yet," replied Wells.
"Please don’t close, I’ll come back every day. I just don’t want them to leave," said Charmaine Byron, a longtime customer that made the drive from Dickson.
The owners made the announcement on Facebook Wednesday, and they've been flooded with business ever since. Regular customer Jim Keith would have been here anyway, but now he's filling up his plate as often as possible. "It’s just too bad it has to close," said Keith. "There’s no other place like this. You can’t go anywhere else and get a variety of home cooking like you can here."
For the Prosser family, who owns the Smorgasbord, the finality is starting to set in. "This was I think one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make," said Pete Prosser, one of the four children of the founders.
Pete says it's hard for this journey to end, perhaps in part, because of the way it began. "Dad cooked, mom talked. That was the routine, that was the way it worked," he said.
Pete's parents met in Europe in 1945. He was serving in World War II, she was a Czechoslovakian refugee. They bonded, how else, over food in the mess hall they both worked in together.
Years later, they sold nearly everything they owned to move to Nashville to chase a dream. "We have people who brought their grand kids, and they’re bringing their kids today," said Pete.
It's a dream that their four kids have continued, until now. "We were here to make a difference, not just be in business to make money, And we love that," said Prosser. "It means that we carried out the mission that mom set us on. We built relationships that span time and place."
Until the property deal is finalized, the food will remain fresh and the relationships, as warm as ever. "I’m from upstate New York and they don’t have that stuff up there, I guess that’s why I’m so heavy," said Charmaine Byron.
"We’ve got people who have been coming -- whew -- a long time," said Wells.
Through the final days, the family and their dedicated staff will likely have to put on a brave face. "You’re there for them, and this is what this was about. The whole time from the day we started," said Prosser.
The Prossers say they don't know if they'll get to announce when their final day will be, so come out to eat with them while you still can.
