I worked at this restaraunt and enjoyed every minute of it from MAY 23 2001 til today NOV 21 2001There were those trying days when you wondered"why the heck you were there"but with each customer that came thru that door and each plate of food you served you knew why you were where you were.... The Food and The Customers!!!It was great every time you walked thru that door to start work to see what was new and changed once more from the day before....each day brought a new adventure with it in one form or another; Either from your co-workers or your cutomers . We all became like family there including our little spats etc...
By Michelle Tan Staff Writer
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Royalton firefighters attempt to control a blaze
Wednesday morning at Dixie's Diner in
Royalton. (Times photo by Jason Wachter) |
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| ROYALTON
--A fire that took more than 15
hours to put out left Don Feiler without his favorite hangout.
The blaze destroyed Royalton's Dixie's Diner on Wednesday. Arson is not suspected, and no one was hurt. Arnie and Theresa Grebinoski have owned the diner for four years. It was a popular gathering place for the small, tightly knit community. Gov. Jesse Ventura stopped in for a meal during his 13-city Central Minnesota tour in February 2000. "I come here for coffee every morning," said Feiler, a Royalton resident and a council member. "I'll really miss the people, the restaurant." Damage is estimated to be at least $200,000, said Royalton Fire Chief Lee Siegel. By about 5 p.m. Wednesday, the remains of the two-unit building, which some believe to be more than 100 years old, had been torn down for safety reasons. Officials speculate that an electrical malfunction caused the fire, though no specific cause had been determined Wednesday evening, Siegel said. The fire at the town's only sit-down restaurant was reported about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, Siegel said. The building also had an upstairs apartment. The occupant, who rents from the Grebinoskis, was out of town when the fire started. Late Wednesday afternoon, the state fire marshal determined the fire started in the center of the building, Siegel said. Firefighters fought the fire from outside the building because the flames were trapped between a ceiling and a false ceiling. The heat and smoke made it impossible to attack the flames from inside, Siegel said. Firefighters from Rice assisted. Arnie Grebinoski was still trying get past his initial shock Wednesday afternoon. "Everything's up in the air right now," he said. Between 10 to 15 people were employed at the diner. "We have coffee groups, lunch groups. One couple has come here every Sunday after church for 51 years," Arnie Grebinoski said. "We have a lot of loyal people here in town." Sue Oelrich, resident and volunteer with the fire and rescue squad, said many customers were regulars. "You could set your clocks by some of the groups that come in," she said. "You didn't need to look at the sun." Police Chief Jeff VanGrinsven said life without the diner will be tough. "Some of the old-timers were here (Wednesday) morning and they were dumbfounded. They didn't know what to do," he said. Losing a business in town is tough, said Royalton Mayor Mark Schraut. "It's sad. Many times, we come down here for dinner," Schraut said. "It's going to be hard." Arnie Grebinoski hopes to rebuild. "I've seen a lot of sad faces around here, including mine," he said. "You don't think it'll happen to you, but it's something we have to deal with and do the best we can."  Fire
Destroys Royalton Cafe
Staff photos by Liz Verley
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