Diners line up for hours for final meal at 42nd Street Oyster Bar: 'It's been fun'

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- As famed Raleigh restaurant 42nd Street Oyster Bar began its final weekend, diners rushed to the downtown spot for one final meal.

"The food, the atmosphere over here, the people that worked here. I didn't know anybody here that didn't want to come to work. It wasn't like a regular job. People were excited to come in. It's where you came and saw everybody," said Michael Todd, a former employee.

It was Todd's first civilian job after leaving the Marine Corps, working as a shucker and server in the early 1990s. He now lives in Colorado with his wife and had a strong reaction upon reading the news online of its closure.

"It felt like hearing of an old friend passing or something. It was like a punch to the gut. I think my wife heard me audibly make a grunt when I read it on Facebook. It brought tears to my eye," said Todd.

He was immediately determined to enjoy one final meal there, though there was one key challenge: all reservations were booked. He went on social media and posted a plea for help, a request that was picked up by the Instagram account Raleigh Downtown.

"Something about it just stood out to me, and he just seemed like such a nice guy," said Diana Cisneros.

Cisneros is the Bar Manager at Irregardless, a popular Raleigh restaurant that is marking its 50th anniversary. Cisneros and her boyfriend originally made reservations for Friday night, though they realized they already had other plans. When Cisneros read Todd's story, she reached out.

"He mentioned his wife, and I was like, 'OK, you and your wife need to come together. Like, this needs to be a thing.' So we just put his name on the reservation and gave it to him," said Cisneros.

"When she sent me the confirmation of the reservation, I just remembered how great Raleigh was and the people in Raleigh and the generosity," said Todd.

Cisneros and her boyfriend were able to eat at 42nd Street Oyster Bar on Thursday night, a meal that Todd covered as an expression of his gratitude. The two couples plan to meet in person this weekend.

"I understand the want or need to get your last dinner in before it closes," said Cisneros.

42nd Street Oyster Bar's history dates to 1931, when it originally operated as a grocery store that served oysters. Two years later, it started selling draft beer upon the end of Prohibition. Finding success through the decades, in 1987, it reopened at its current location on West Jones Street. Earning praise for its seafood, the award-winning restaurant has remained a staple, often drawing North Carolina politicians.

Co-owner Brad Hurley said they were approached with the opportunity to extend their lease for another five years.

"I said (to co-owner) John (Vick), if we do another five years, you're going to be almost 80, and I'm still going to be pushing your coattails on that, on that age thing. We just agreed that this is probably not the thing for us to do. At our age, we don't need to be in the restaurant business, and we probably wouldn't have been for the last five to 10 years had it not been for such a great team," said Hurley.

While the restaurant is overbooked, walk-in opportunities remain an option. On Friday, the first prospective diner showed up around 2 p.m., about three hours before the doors opened. By 4 p.m., a line extended down the parking lot.

"How much more fun does it get than having a great clientele, great staff, meeting so many nice people?" said Hurley.

Since news of its closure broke, the restaurant has been inundated with kind messages and people sharing their favorite memories.

"It's been very rewarding," Hurley said. "It's been my life. It's been fun."