The Dulee County restaurant has been out of business for more than two decades

Erda, Utah – Virgas Restaurant in Erda has been serving Dulee County residents for more than two decades. On Sunday they announced they would close their doors later this year.

Last year, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased the property where the restaurant is located and the surrounding area Development of a new temple. That development came to a halt after a community petition raised concerns about the construction of a temple and a nearby residence.

Read: Later in the day Saint leaders pull out of restoration demand for temple housing development in Dulee County after public outcry

Last month, the church announced to Virgin owner David Law that the building would be vacated by the end of this year. He released a letter to the restaurant on Sunday, telling customers that the doors would close soon.

The law began to work when Virgin was 13 years old at her original location in Salt Lake City.

“I worked there for nine years and the owner passed away, so I bought it from his wife,” he said.

He opened the Erda location in 1997 and has been serving the community ever since.

“This is over half of my life!” The law said firmly. “I met my wife here.”

The restaurant, and the Dulee community, meant a lot to him and his family, he said.

“I have a client who said mom was pregnant when we opened and she had a baby,” she said. “Since that day 23 years later, every birthday of hers has been celebrated here.”

The law stated that he would have to move seats when the property was purchased by the church in 2019. Until now, they have allowed more than one month to lease property on a monthly basis.

“They told me I had a year, and then things changed,” Law said. “I think it was on the 19th or 20th [of Nov.], That Saturday, I received a letter certifying that I must be out by December 31st. “

He was given more time to find a new location and tried to negotiate an extension of the lease from month to month. But he and the church could not come to an agreement.

The hardest part in closing, the law said, was telling its employees that they would no longer have work just before the holidays. He said some of his employees have been with him for more than a decade.

“I beg you, don’t let everyone shoot for Christmas,” La said.

With the additional economic pressures of the epidemic, Erda said the location has helped keep the doors of his other restaurants in the Salt Lake Valley open.

“It has been financing everyone,” he said.

La said it was not easy to close the doors at Erda restaurant, even though he had other places.

“It’s just a heartbeat,” he said with tears in his eyes.

In a statement to Fox 13, church spokesman Daniel Woodruff said:

“In July 2019 the Church purchased land in Erdo, where the Virgin is located. At the time, the restaurant did not have a formal lease. Since then, we have allowed Virgin to stay on the property for a month to a month lease, while encouraging them to find a new location. Last month, the church issued a notice to suspend the monthly lease from that month until December 31st. We wish the Virgin owners the best as they move to a new location. ”

The law continues to seek to locate the Virgin’s new location in the Dulee Valley, but said nothing has been done due to the economic impacts of the epidemic. He said he hopes to reopen sometime in the future. For now, that date is not yet known.