May 7, 2023
Don’s Place in Protection, Kansas announced that it will be closing at the end of May and probably won’t reopen. After 51-years of him owning the spot.
I went to Don’s back in March for the first time and told you all about it. I took a snapshot of that post and it’s included in the photographs of this post. It had been on my list for quite awhile.
Don has owned and operated his place since 1973. As he wrote in his post: “The guys who all sat at the counter in 1973 are all gone now. They sat at the counter ,shook their heads, and said these dumb kids,” “What are they thinking?” “They can’t make this work”. Well we [are] cooking for their great-great grandchildren.”
People that ARE NOT from rural areas do not appreciate THE restaurant in town. And how important it is to the community. I’ve never met Don and I’ve been to Protection once. But I’ve been involved in enough small communities and had enough experience to surmise that there were probably times he thought about hanging it up. And he said “No, I can’t do that.”
So, this is merely a salute to, you, Don, and to your family for what you did the last 51-years for the community of Protection, Kansas. You started at 22 and ended at 73. Wow. What a life. I wish I would have introduced myself when you walked by me. I don’t generally like to introduce myself…but I should have that time.
— TKG
