Country Kitchen to Close Its Doors on December 22nd

Country Kitchen, which has been hosting diners for four decades, is shutting its doors for good on December 22.

Owner Mark Chandley is retiring after 34 years and wants to lead a quieter life, according to his niece Tracy, who has been working at the restaurant for many years.

“He just wants to enjoy some free time,” Tracy noted. “Spend time with his grandkids and his family. It was a very hard decision to come to, if it wasn’t for his health (Mark) would’ve kept going. Like his Dad, he didn’t want to lose his life to the place and I don’t blame him.”

Chandley’s father bought the property on Taunton Avenue in 1980. Mark helped his father on a part-time basis in the 1980s and later took over operations in 1990.

Popular dishes included sausage hash and chourico hash omelets, strawberry cream waffles, apple cream waffles. “He makes a chili and cheese omelet with his home made chili,” Tracy noted. “Raspberry corn pancakes, home fries – he has his own little flair to them.

Tracy said the patrons are dismayed by news of the closing: “People just stopped in daily- it’s a second home for a lot of them, and they are going to miss it as much as we are.”