Patrons share fond memories of Royal Oak's Sign of the Beefcarver on its final day

After nearly 70 years in business, an iconic Metro Detroit restaurant is set to close.

Sign of the Beefcarver in Royal Oak, Michigan, is welcoming customers for one last time on Sunday. Patrons started lining up before 6 a.m.

"I got here at 5:45 a.m. I knew the line was going to be around the building," Christopher Cooley, the second person in line, said. "I knew if I didn't make a good jump on it, that I wasn't going to get my meal and, you know, have my last meal at the Beefcarver."

Ever since the announcement about the closure, massive crowds have flocked to the restaurant for the past week.

"I've been trying to come all week, and every time I come, like later at night, and they sell out of the beef. So we decided, let's go the last day and get in line early before they even open," Chelsey Watson, from Livonia, Michigan, said.

People say the eatery is where they made some of their fondest childhood memories.

"As a kid, it was my responsibility to go to, like, the condiment section where they had, and people will know this, they had pickles and beets, horseradish sauce and stuff like that. And I was the one that had to go get the plates and take them to the table," Kurt Kochenderfer, of Royal Oak, said.

Sign of the Beefcarver, located on Woodward Avenue, gave many of them their first job opportunity.

"My first job was at the Oakland Mall location. I worked the entrees and the vegetables, the side orders," Leo Del Pilar, from West Bloomfield, said. "I liked working there. All the people there were very friendly. It felt like a family environment working at the place, and I loved eating for free on my breaks."

"Twenty-five years ago today, if you will, I was a dishwasher here. The Beefcarver brought me in out of juvenile detention and offered me employment as a 17-year-old," Cooley said.

It's where family traditions started.

"I came here with my grandparents for eight years, and then I came with my parents and then I came with my own kids, and so I've been coming here regularly for 55 years," Kevin Ketels, from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, said. "Celebrating my birthday and Father's Day with my own dad and my kids bring me here, and so it has a lot of memories."

Customers embraced servers inside on Sunday. The atmosphere was both joyful and somber.

"I'm kind of sad because this [is] part of our history. It's our life, history as a family, you know? I used to meet my in-laws here every other weekend since they [my kids] were six weeks old," Clarita Ketels said.

Some cling to hope that the restaurant will be saved.

"I hope they stay open since we're all giving them so much business this week and they'll change their mind," Watson said.

Others accept it's time to say goodbye.

"You know, it's just these things that we love that are slowly becoming unavailable anymore. Just enjoy while you can," Kochenderfer said.

You'll have a chance to own a piece of the restaurant's story. The antiques, decor, fixtures and furniture will all be sold at a garage sale sometime in the next few weeks. Look for the announcement on social media.