K&W Cafeterias closed Monday, ending an 88-year run that started in downtown Winston-Salem.
The company said the closings were effective immediately and came with “a heavy heart,” according to a Facebook note.
“K&W has always been more than a restaurant – it has been a gathering place, a home for Sunday traditions, and a warm table for millions of families across generations. We are deeply grateful for every guest who walked through our doors, shared a meal with us, and made us part of their lives.”
The chain was cofounded in 1937 by several men, including those named Knight and Wilson, which led to the name K&W Restaurant. Cofounder Grady Allred Sr. became the sole owner in the early 1940s. He and his descendants built a family business of more than 30 locations in the Southeast by the 1980s.
Declining interest in cafeterias and the pandemic slammed the business, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020. It reorganized as a smaller operation and in 2022, was acquired by Southlake, Texas-based Falcon Holdings, owner of the Piccadilly Cafeteria chain.
As of early this year, 10 K&W Cafeterias were operating in the Carolinas and Virginia. Piccadilly once had more than 270 locations; it is down to fewer than 30, the Baton Rouge Advocate reported in July.
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