Laughter and tears as Loons says goodbye

There was sadness in the gaps between laughter on Wednesday as the regulars that normally frequent Loons on a Limb came in to eat their last meal.

Lone patrons and groups of two or three that came in would push tables together for camaraderie, and to share stories of the first time they ate there or good times they had shared there. Others sat quietly eating their last meal at the restaurant in quiet contemplation.

Jay and Sue Spurgeon, the couple that has owned Loons for 25years now, watched as their friends came and went, many of them signing the large poster board by the cash register that was put together by the Caccavale family. The restaurant was shown painted in watercolor, and below it the family had written, “Remember … the sand castle is part of the beach forever, even after the wave has hit.”

“Thanks for all the laughs and memories,” Jay Whipple wrote. “Wherever we go, we will always be at Loons in our hearts.”

“Breakfast in Boca will never be the same,” wrote Jenni and Ian Rogerson. “We’ll miss Loons, good luck and enjoy the next chapter of life.”

“I’m gonna miss ya’ll so much!” wrote Ariana Dumas. “Ever since I was 1 1/2 I got the same thing every time (short stack), until I tried the eggs Benedict. I’m going to dread not being able to eat it.”

The much-loved restaurant that has become a central meeting place for the early and late risers of the island has been sold. The new owner closed the doors on May 1 and renovations will take place over the summer. To Sue Spurgeon’s knowledge, it will re-open in the fall. She didn’t know whether the new restaurant would serve breakfast or lunch, or just dinner.

The couple opened the restaurant 10 days after they married in 1982. It has been their primary income for more than two decades. Now new plans for the couple’s time are being made. Jay is thinking about heading to Mariana, in northern Florida, to raise quail on some property he owns there. Sue isn’t sure about what she will do next, but on April 30 the future didn’t really seem to matter. She was concerned with soaking up the last bit of time she had with her good friends and the second family she has created for herself at Loons.

Sue hugged most of the patrons as they approached her when they were finished eating. Each one got a personal word or shared a memory. Jay stayed pre-occupied in the kitchen and said little, true to form.

One particularly raucous table of regulars contained Tinya Walerko, Bob Fletcher, Hank Browne, Anne and George Lyons and Rev. Andrew Heydt.

“Yeah, I’m a regular,” Tinya said. “I started coming down at least a couple of days a week 20 years ago, and especially in the last eight years. I’m going to miss this place, it’s wonderful.”

Bob had his own opinion on the matter.

“All I’ve got to say is, it’s about time they closed this damn place!” he joked.

“We understand that Jay’s motto of ‘ready … aim … fire’ is really ‘ready … fire … aim,’” Hank Browne said. “The problem for me is I’ll have to walk a little farther. Right now I just stumble down from the hotel. But it’s all right, we’ve got a sign already made up that says, ‘Breakfast next door … please knock.’”

Coincidentally, next door is where Jay and Sue live. Several other patrons also threatened to stop at their home and demand to be fed as well.

Billy Kaminski, another familiar island face that can claim he has worked for a time at the restaurant, sat at a table outside and contemplated his eggs Benedict.

“This is my last breakfast here, my sad eggs,” he said. “I’ve been coming every year they’ve been open, at least four or five days a week. It’s going to be hard finding another nice place … once you get into the habit of things it’s hard.”

Mary Hunter, who has worked at Loons for 25 years, and Joy Lucia, an employee who has been at the restaurant for this season only, don’t know what the future holds for them. They both know they need to find work, and soon.

“I really don’t know yet what I’m going to do,” Mary said. “I’m working at Jam’s of Cape Haze at night, so I will try to pick up another couple of shifts. This has been my home for so long, I’ve been working on the island since 1978 and here since 1986. I’d really like to stay working out here, but … either way it’s been a wonderful experience. I’ve met so many wonderful people, seen families grow …” she turned away, as tears filled her eyes.

“I don’t even know what I’m going to do,” Joy said. “I’ll tell you what, though, I would never have quit this job. It is just the best job ever, the people are so wonderful. I’ve only been here a season, I thought I had really found a home. I’ll never find another job like this.”

Anne Lyons summed up the situation by saying, “It will be missed, but we know that changes have to happen.”