After 55 Years, a Napa Landmark is Closing Its Doors for Good

NAPA VALLEY, CA -- After a long stretch of serving customers that dates back to the early 1960s, the Highway 29 Cafe is switching off its burners and shutting its doors for good.

The 55-year-old family-owned restaurant, located at the junction of Highway 29 and South Kelly Road, is closing on Dec. 23, owner Allen Organ, 63, told the Napa Valley Register.

Organ said his family started him in the business as a potato peeler when he was 6 or 7 years old, and that in recent times, he'd been working 80 to 100 hours a week. He hasn't had a vacation in over 10 years, he said.

Organ told the newspaper that although he’s sad about letting the restaurant go, he feels like he is getting out at the right time and is looking forward to getting started on his bucket list.

“I want to go on the road, do some travelling,” he reportedly said.

Although Organ's getting out of the business, he said the property’s new owners, the nearby Napa-Vallejo Flea Market, may try to keep the location as a café.

Image via Shutterstock