Dawndi’s Restaurant at the Lucky Hills Golf Course in Franklin is closing its doors at the end of the day today after more than 11 years of serving the area.
Judy Shingledecker, who owns the restaurant and golf course along with her husband, Dick, and family, said they made the decision to close the restaurant due to sickness in the family.
“We’ve also worked well over retirement age,” she said, adding that the decision to close the restaurant has been “tough.”
The restaurant has many regular patrons whom she said the owners and restaurant staff have gotten to know “like family.”
Shingledecker told staff of the decision to close as they came in for work on Sept. 19, and the announcement was also publicly posted on Facebook.
“We said to the staff that it would close at the end of the month — we didn’t want to go into the holidays and all,” she said.
But she emphasized that the owners don’t intend the building to remain permanently idle.
“We’re hoping it will all work out. You close one door, and another door opens.”
And Lucky Hills Golf Course will remain open, as will the golf simulator and attached bar. Some of the staff have offered their help, she said.
The Shingledeckers built the golf course, which opened in August 2000, and they also designed and built Dawndi’s with the help of crews and contractors.
The restaurant is named after the Shingledeckers’ daughter, Dawn, who was killed in a car accident 29 years ago today, and whose picture hangs in the front foyer of the restaurant.
“Her name was Dawn, and we called her Dawndi,” Shingledecker said.
Shingledecker said she wanted to thank her staff, and all the patrons who have come to Dawndi’s over the years.
“I’ve met a lot of wonderful people whom I would have never met,” she said.
