Veteran’s Café in Myrtle Beach to Close After Serving Heroes for 15 Years
Beloved Community Fixture Announces Closure
The Veteran’s Café and Grille, a cherished community institution located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is set to close after a dedicated 15-year run of serving veterans and patriots. Known even beyond local borders for its philanthropic works and fostering fraternal spirit among veterans, the cafe has been a central hub for wartime memories, stories, and camaraderie.
Café, Community, and Camaraderie
From the moment it opened its doors in 2009, the Veteran’s Café has been more than just a restaurant. Its owner, Lou Mascherino, envisioned it as a place where veterans could feel at home, reminisce about their experiences, and engage with the local community. Its efforts have included numerous fundraising cookouts and partnerships with non-profits like Wounded Warriors and Quilts of Valor.
“We’re always doing something for the veterans,” Mascherino said. “It gives us a place where the veteran comes and feels a camaraderie in this facility.” The café has thus been an active and giving part of the community, offering emotional and practical support to veterans.
A Home Away from Home
For the regular patrons of the café, men and women who served our nation in various capacities, the establishment has come to symbolize a space of belonging and understanding. It facilitated conversations that bridged diverse experiences across different wars and branches of service. This unique gathering place for shared narratives will be sorely missed.
“They feel at home here“, expressed longtime patron, June Lynne Walter. The conversations held here were more than idle chatter—they served as living reminders of rich, eventful lives shaped by service to the country.
The Inevitable End
Unfortunately, the popular café finds itself on an unsustainable path. A proposed doubling of the rent, coupled with Mascherino’s health issues, has compelled the difficult decision to close the café’s doors for good. A potential sale of the establishment has been considered, but so far, no takers have emerged.
The impending closure, expected to take place in late October, has sparked a wave of poignant reactions from the regulars. “It’s gonna be a great loss to everybody that comes here,” remarked Russell Payne, a US Marine Corps veteran.
Parting Wishes and Hopes for Reconnection
As time slowly ticks towards the café’s closure, hope lingers for a future reunion. “We’ll find each other somehow, some way, we’ll find each other later on in life,” stated Mascherino, the hopeful tone of his words attempting to lessen the sadness of impending departure.
In the café’s waning days, veterans who’ve once donated photos, uniforms, badges, and more, marking their service and memories across the café walls, are being requested to retrieve their invaluable tokens. These retrievals prompt bitter-sweet moments, a silent but resonant testament to the countless memories housed within the café.
Despite this farewell, the legacy of Veteran’s Café, an establishment built on a foundation of honor and service, will not be forgotten. From community cookouts to deep conversations, its memory-laden walls will echo the stories of our brave veterans long after its doors close.
Source: HERE News Network
Author: HERE News
