Christmas Eve was the last day in business for The Rib Ranch, a barbecue restaurant at 2063 Canton Road (near the split with the Canton Road connector).
WhatNowAtlanta reported that the owners announced that the restaurant was serving for the last time at 2 p.m. today.
There wasn’t an initial reason given for the closure when the announcement was first made on Dec. 18. The following day, Barbara Folwell, one of the longtime owners of The Rib Ranch, said on the restaurant’s Facebook page that she has purchased a cafe in Canton and plans to add The Rib Ranch there.
She didn’t respond to customers’ questions about the business reportedly losing its lease.
Folwell said she is hopeful the new restaurant will be approved by the summer, since variances and renderings are required, but in the meantime, she is operating the Keithsburg Cafe for breakfast and lunch, with a country cooking menu, at its location on Ball Ground Highway.
In addition to serving a full barbecue menu, The Rib Ranch has been a meeting spot for many civic groups and other organizations over the years, including the East Cobb Lions Club.
The Rib Ranch opened in 1983 at the site of a former hot dog stand. Cindy Newman, the original owner, moved from Idaho and turned it into a family-run business, selling the restaurant and a related catering operation to her siblings David and Barbara in 1992.
The restaurant building burned down in 1995 after being struck by lightning in a storm, and The Rib Ranch didn’t reopen until 1997.
After that, however, the Rib Ranch won several awards at the Taste of Marietta.
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