VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — This weekend is the last chance to grab a meal from an iconic restaurant at Rudee's Inlet. On Sunday, after 37 years in business, Rockafeller's will close its kitchen for good.
For years, Rockafeller's has served fresh crab cakes and oysters to visitors at the oceanfront, earning numerous awards and creating a destination for lasting memories.
Carolyn Dyke, a frequent customer, reflected on her fond experiences. “Oh yes, yes, because we have all those memories from high school we talk about,” she said.
For customers like Dyke and Linda O’Brien, Rockafeller's is where they rekindled their friendship after reconnecting following high school.
“We make sure we go to lunch and try to have some of the local restaurants,” Dyke said. “You know what I mean? Rockafeller's is one of our favorites; it is the favorite.”
But like all good things, they say, it must come to an end. Earlier this month, Rockafeller's owner, Elizabeth “BJ” Baumann, announced that the restaurant will serve its last she-crab soup on Nov. 2.
“I’m at a different phase in my life,” Baumann said. “I've got grandchildren at an age where I really want to spend time with them. I want to be able to go to their baseball games. I want to go out to lunch with my girlfriends. I want to step back and do things that owning a restaurant kind of makes difficult.”
Baumann took over the restaurant in 1999 after her husband, Frank, passed away. While it was a difficult decision, she believes her late husband would be proud of the impact they’ve made.
“I’m sure some of the changes he would say, 'What are you thinking?' But 99 percent of them, he would say, 'That’s awesome, that’s awesome,'” Baumann noted.
The restaurant's name will not be sold off. Baumann plans to take it with her and hopes there may be opportunities with it in the future.
She notes that some employees have worked with her for 20 to 30 years, and she is working to ensure most have employment once they close their doors.
While there’s no word on what might take over the space, customers are eager to enjoy their last bites of carrot cake for good.
“We just wanted to have one last memory and another good meal,” Dyke said.
Baumann said there is still space available for their last weekend to enjoy a good meal.
Because of how busy they expect to be, it's best to make a reservation online.
