SEARCY, Ark. — A popular Searcy barbecue restaurant closed its doors one last time after 13 years.
Whistle Stop BBQ and Burger quickly became a hometown staple in Searcy when owners Mark and Lorri Petty opened its doors.
"We are such a family-oriented restaurant. Every employee that walks through this door becomes a member of our family,” Lorri said.
But after 13 successful years, the Petty’s are closing Whistle Stop down. Lorri said the restaurant was her husband’s dream. But life got in the way, causing too much stress to keep it open.
"My husband has had two heart attacks,” Lorri said.
Lorri fought her own battles with cancer the past five years.
“It was breast, it was lung, it was liver, it was bone, it was colon, and it was brain,” she said.
Lorri said she is now four months cancer free; her last brain tumor gone in February. But she said it is still time to step back from the restaurant.
“It has been fight like no fight ever and the fact that we did that, plus Mark having two heart attacks and kept this restaurant going has been remarkable,” Lorri said.
But Thurman McCroskey plans to take over the business. He has been a cook at Whistle Stop for over ten years.
"I've always had people ask me: 'why don't you do something on your own?' And my number one answer is: 'I don't want to leave Mark and Lorri, nor open a competitive business against them,’" McCroskey said.
Mark encouraged him to open up his own shop after the Petty’s stepped down. He plans to reopen the restaurant under the name “Guy’s Smoke and Grill.” It will be in the same location on S Benton Avenue in Searcy.
"I'm going to try to keep a lot of the same menu items and add a couple, so I'm really excited about it,” he said.
But McCroskey said seeing the Petty's step down isn't easy. He hopes to carry on Whistles Stop's legacy.
“We’ve had a lot of sad times, a lot of happy times, a lot of crying with illnesses and a lot of scares. We’ve pulled through a lot and the Lord has blessed us extremely well,” McCroskey said.
McCroskey plans to open Guys Smoke and Grill at the beginning of August. He said to stay tuned to their Facebook page for details.