Many years from now, people will drive by what used to be 431 S.W. 150th St. in Burien, and vividly remember the classic restaurant that once was there.

You know, the one with the irresistible pot roast, comfort foods that soothed the palate and mouthwatering slices of fruit pie.

They may reminisce about one special occasion there, or give thanks for forever friends they met inside those cozy walls.

On Dec. 15, Meal Makers restaurant closed its doors after 27 years of business in the same location-a restaurant that undoubtedly will be cherished in local history as a legend.

It was described by some as the heart of Burien. Others called it a historical site. It was a senior citizen's hub. It was a place where customers insisted their breakfast was on the table within 10 minutes.

One patron recalled it was worth the 38-mile drive to get a good burger. Taking a famous lyric from the theme song of "Cheers," it was "a place where everybody knows your name."

One name in particular, though, is forever etched in memory-Kevin Fitz.

Owner, customer-service provider extraordinaire and one who, once upon a time, had a vision.

Fitz was 21 when Meal Makers opened. Even at such a young age, he was no stranger to the restaurant business. He began his journey at age 15 as a dishwasher at Smitty's Pancake House in White Center (today known as Perkin's).

He would continue to work in the restaurant business through high school and college, and remembers it as "a good living."

Fitz and several ambitious co-workers eventually opened Meal Makers, despite being told the restaurant would not last three months.

"We didn't understand the magnitude of the risk we were taking," he admitted recently.

How, then, did he say goodbye to a business that owned his heart?

"It's very bittersweet," Fitz observed. "Saying goodbye to the community is agonizing. This is a grieving process.

"The community is in mourning. "There is a core group. We all felt a connection for 27 years."

His customers left him with something priceless- "the customers have just instilled in me the value of friendships."

Every customer seems to have a Meal Makers' story, as evidenced by comments written in a patron Memory Book.

Fitz has his own description of Meal Makers: "It was a gathering place, less about the food. It was about fellowship.

"The restaurant itself was the definition of a community, human connection. People felt safe, comfortable and often formed outside relationships."

He recalled watching "generations come in and come out. This was about more than just customer service. It was always affordable, and we served comfort food, with an emphasis on breakfast."

Through the years, Fitz fine-tuned the menu, offering various dietary choices and espresso. "My standards have remained pretty high," he said.

Fitz really knew his customers. He understood what they liked and what they disliked. Where else could customers walk into a restaurant and find their beverage of choice waiting?

The wait staff thought nothing of watching the window for "regulars," then making a mad dash to the coffee pot. It took a keen sense of timing and awareness.

Fitz laughed. "I know what people drive. I like to be prepared!"

His long-time partners shared his sense for extraordinary customer service.

Becky Riggs served Meal Makers customers for 22 years.

Carol Zamalloa routinely reminded a customer when bidding him good-bye, "See you Friday morning at the counter."

Mary Povick and Shone Thompson were on a first name basis with Meal Makers guests.

They were dependable, long-term employees, and it took many others like them to make Meal Makers such a successful "home away from home."

There was a sense of family and that everyone belonged there.

As the countdown began to the final day, wait staff continued to greet everyone with their signature cheerful smiles-the kind that for years had warmed people on rainy, blustery days.

Meal Makers was also about having fun-even getting crazy-behind the scenes.

Yes, a waitress really did find herself drenched in a huge bucket of syrup.

One time a customer sat in the restaurant while another customer put a Siberian husky in the back seat of the first customer's car.

Fitz still laughs when he remembers asking that patron, "When did you get a dog?"

He ran out, opened his car door and frantically started shooing the dog out of the car.

Once a customer was boasting about his new car. The vehicle sat in the Meal Makers parking lot, with the dealer plate in view. There was a phone in the entry (when Meal Makers had two entrances).

Fitz, in an impish mood, called from the pay phone into the restaurant and asked for that customer.

He told the customer that he was the manager at the car dealership and there was a problem with the steering rod. The customer replied, "I knew there was something wrong with that thing."

A waitress recalled the time she had to deal with a rather embarrassing situation-telling a patron who has just left the restroom there was a trail of toilet paper following behind? It's funny now, but at the time it was tricky finding the appropriate words while protecting the customer's dignity.

Last month, on what was to have been Meal Makers' final day of business, a mammoth windstorm left Burien without power. The restaurant stood silent and empty throughout the day-as deserted and barren as nearby city streets.

This was a stark contrast from what would have been a huge, merry send-off. Many who came to say "goodbye" wondered if the darkness and isolation were a kind of "omen"-as if Mother Nature gave the OK that everything be closed and everyone go home.

But Burien was not quite finished applauding Fitz.

On Dec. 18, the city council honored Fitz with a proclamation in recognition of his work and support for Burien residents. He was honored for his participation in civic affairs and community events, as well as his development of Meal Makers Restaurant.

Lawmakers urged all Burien residents to join in their expression of appreciation for Fitz's dedication and service to the entire community.

With the closing of Meal Makers comes a new chapter in the life of the Fitz family.

Although the family will not be moving to Lake Chelan, they are building a home there.

With eldest son Ken, a high school senior, going to college next fall, Fitz, his wife, Kathy, and younger son Keith anticipate some quality family time.

He joked that Kathy referred to the restaurant as his "other woman" ... I had the restaurant before I had her."

Despite some anticipated tears, Fitz said he left Meal Makers on a high note.

"On a personal level, I want people to know I was born and raised in this community. I raised my children here. I have tremendous passion for this city.

"I want people to look back at their special memories inside these four walls. People thank me for memories."

Fitz expressed his gratitude "for all of the support, not just on a business level, but on an emotional level."

His guests were more than just customers.

"Some I walked to the grave, others I walked down the aisle," he reflected.

"My entire adult life has been spent in [those] four walls. I have to catch up on life. This is all God's plan and I just have to follow it. It's been a great run."