Passing by Betty's Old Fashion on Hillsboro Street, it is not uncommon to see a throng of people waiting patiently to receive their order of one of the restaurant's famous hamburgers or ice cream cones.
Still, the crowd on Thursday -- two days before the El Dorado landmark closes for good -- was relentless. A News-Times reporter stopped by three times during and after lunch on Thursday, and each time was met by a crowded parking lot and two lines of hungry customers, many of whom were well aware this would be one of their last chances to eat at a place that has seemingly always been there.
The restaurant originally announced on social media that today would be their final day open, but announced late Thursday afternoon that they will open one final time on Saturday.
"I'm gonna miss it -- this is my third time here today," said Betty Lacey, a local customer waiting in line on Thursday for ice cream.
"They have the best ice cream around... They should leave [Betty's] right where it is," she continued.
Betty's has been in place since 1934 and is a staple for many in El Dorado, particularly those who grew up nearby. Owner Betty Schaub was hired on at the restaurant in 1957 at the age of 19 and bought the business 10 years later, according to previous News-Times reporting.
"I hate [that it is closing], it's part of El Dorado and part of the community. I've been coming here for about 30 years... I hope they can find a new spot because I'm going to miss them," said customer B.T. Thompson.
Several customers who spoke referenced the fact that they have been visiting the restaurant for most of their lives.
"It's sad, but they gotta do what they gotta do. They will be missed," said Walter Sanders, who has been eating at Betty's for at least three decades.
"I remember it always being here. I'm 42, so you do the math," said Connie Lacey, another longtime customer.
Betty's is closing due to the planned Arkansas Department of Transportation project to widen and improve Hillsboro Street/U.S. 82-B/Junction City Road, which is a state highway.
Land acquisition has been underway for at least a year for the project, and many businesses on Hillsboro will need to adjust, relocate or in some cases, close, as a result.
Another customer, Willie Mason, even remembered the restaurant when it was run by original owner Phil Schaaf.
"I grew up on Betty's... I hate to see it go," Mason said.
Mason said that during his childhood, family members would call in orders throughout the week and walk to Betty's to pick them up. At the end of the week, he said, his dad or grandfather would go and settle the account.
"It's a landmark... the 'Last of the Mohicans' right here. I'm here to get one more greasy burger before they close. That's their trademark -- if the bag ain't greasy, I don't want it," Mason said.
"I have a lot of memories here," he concluded.
The impending closure of the restaurant even inspired at least one pilgrimage.
Joseph Armour, an El Dorado native, jumped in his car Thursday to make the drive from Houston, Tex. to El Dorado to grab one last meal from Betty's.
Armour said he planned to meet up with childhood friends Shane Hendricks and Jason Ponder for a trip to the Spudnut Shoppe on Friday morning before making their way to Betty's for lunch.
"We called it a 'bof' - the strawberry sundaes that come in the white Styrofoam cups. When we had something to celebrate, we'd jump in the truck and roll over there. It's something we did a lot," Armour said.
Armour said the visit will be quick - they will all be heading back to their homes in Dallas, Houston and Little Rock today.
"Hopefully they're not sold out of strawberry sundaes... My kid said 'you're driving 12 hours just for a strawberry sundae?'" Armour said.
'We're going to miss our friends'
Schaub's niece, Susan Blanchard, a 1987 graduate of El Dorado High School who grew up working alongside her aunt in Betty's Old-Fashion, said long lines and heavy traffic have clogged the intersection of East Hillsboro and Martin Luther King, where Betty's holds down the northwest corner, since she posted the pending closure March 3 on Facebook.
Blanchard said ArDOT had issued several notices to vacate since the paperwork to sell the property was signed in mid-2022.
"They had been kind of keeping us posted and last year, they told us we needed to be out by September and then December and then January and February and now, they've told us March 1 and this is it, so, yes, they have told us that we need to get out of the way," Blanchard said.
Blanchard said the business will close its doors Saturday, noting that many people think today will be the final day.
Betty's will run its normal business hours of 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday before shutting down for good at its longtime location.
Per information she has received from ArDOT, Blanchard said demolition is set for early April.
As she has been for the past 65-plus years, Schaub will be on site up until the final minute on Saturday, serving and saying her goodbyes to customers who have become family over the years, Blanchard said, adding that her aunt is holding up well during such an emotional time.
"She's doing good and she's talking about how she's going to miss everybody and she's going to sit in her recliner a bit," Blanchard said with a laugh.
Schaub will be walking away with a lifetime of friendships, community support and her status as a finalist for the 2023 Class of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.
Though the oldest dairy bar in the state did not make the cut as a AFHF inductee, Blanchard said the pair are ecstatic with the nomination, which, she added, is bittersweet considering the timing.
The physical location of Betty's Old Fashion may be closing, but its legacy, and hopefully, a new iteration, will keep rolling.
Blanchard will take over the reins of the business after Saturday.
"Betty gave me all of the equipment and she told me to go for it and I will do my best to find another building," said Blanchard.
Blanchard manages many of the business's affairs and for nearly two years, she has been scouting out other potential locations to reopen the restaurant.
"Well, I've been looking for some property close to where we're at right now and I've gotten a word on it and so far, it's been kind of positive," she said, adding that she hopes to have more details as talks advance.
To assist with the effort, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Blanchard with a goal of $200,000. By late Thursday afternoon, $1,335 had been raised.
An account has also been opened for donations at Simmons First Bank. The account number is 136902806.
Blanchard's Facebook announcing the pending closure of the business on March 3 has reached more than 45,000 people -- a testament to the popularity and widespread affection for Betty's Old Fashion.
If Blanchard is able to reopen the business, Schaub said she will gladly help out, though she will be drastically cutting back on the 18-hour workdays that she has maintained for nearly seven decades.
She fondly ruminated about her years in business and what Betty's Old Fashion and the community have meant to her.
"To stay in business as long as I have, you've got to love your customers and they've got to love me," Schaub previously told the News-Times.
"There's a lot of people who are upset that I have to move. I am too," she continued. "That's the bad thing about going out of business. My customers are like family. I've been blessed and I want to give back to the community."
Blanchard echoed those sentiments on Thursday, saying that she and Schaub have been overcome by the outpouring of support from the community.
"The lines have been wrapped around the building. People have been parking across the street, up the street, down the street -- anywhere they can," Blanchard said.
"We really appreciate everyone that has been through here over the last three weeks or the last three decades. We love you all and we just appreciate everyone so much. We're going to miss our friends," she added.
Betty Schaub stands at her hamburger stand/dairy bar, Betty's Old Fashion at 1334 E. Hillsboro. Schaub, who has worked at the business since she was 19 and owned it since she was 29, will soon close the business due to an upcoming Hillsboro/U.S. 82-B expansion and improvement project. (Tia Lyons/News-Times file)