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The last plate of eggs 'n' grits

By MICHAEL KRUSE
Published April 28, 2006

WEEKI WACHEE - Thursday morning was the last breakfast here at Becky's Restaurant.

Becky's is an eggs and grits kind of place. It's on County Road 550, on the way out to Bayport, past the bait shop and the bear crossing sign. Becky De La Rosa opened it up 30 years ago this month.

On Thursday, though, De La Rosa, 74, signed some papers in a law office in Spring Hill and sold her restaurant.

The small stucco building isn't going anywhere, and the new owner says she's not going to change much if anything at all, De La Rosa said this week, but the shift in ownership is only the latest in a recent line of local landmark Hernando County restaurants going away or changing owners. Ye Olde Fireside Inn in Brooksville burned in late December 2004. Farmer John's in Brooksville was sold in March.

"The end of an era," Becky's customer Sue Brandon said early Thursday morning.

"The Becky's of the world are few and far between," Dale Anglin said at the next table over. "They're just not there anymore. The chain restaurants are taking over.

"For us," he said, "this is a treasure."

Becky's has wood-panel walls, some green, well-worn carpet, a heavy-breathing window unit and 26 seats at seven brown-topped tables. A hamburger costs $2.65. The bathrooms are outside.

De La Rosa showed up Thursday morning with her walker. She broke her hip in November. "It's time," she said.

The first day at Becky's restaurant was April 12, 1976, after her ex-husband had moved the family from Simi Valley, Calif., to be closer to his parents in Spring Hill.

Back then, there wasn't anything out this way except the mermaids on the corner - no Nellie's, no Winn-Dixie - and to see a movie or shop for groceries meant a drive to New Port Richey.

"If we were going out to eat, we were going to Becky's," longtime customer Patti Mahan said Thursday. "Wasn't anywhere else to go."

That's changed. A lot.

But as the county sprouted a Denny's, a Perkins and an International House of Pancakes, Becky's stayed the same. In this tucked-away nook of fast, always-changing Florida, regulars came here at regular times and made their regular orders. Folks sought and got some constancy at the little restaurant across the way from the D&T General Store.

Morning-shift waitress Jane Schooley has been here almost 27 years.

Cook Linda Hess has been here 14.

The loyal clientele?

The plumbers, the tree trimmers, the workers from Weeki Wachee Springs and the guys from the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative. The rich folks from up North who come down every year to go on the gulf with a tanned-brown guide who can help them catch a whole mess of fish. The shrimpers with the knee-high rubber boots who come in for eggs and an 8 a.m. beer after the night shift out on a boat.

And if one of them didn't show up for a while, De La Rosa gave a call or sent someone to knock on a door.

Anglin likes mixed fruit jelly better than strawberry or grape.

Brandon has a swiss and spinach omelet that's not even on the menu and takes her coffee black.

Schooley knows these things. She knows how soft or hard everybody takes their eggs, how brown they want their home fries and who likes sweet tea or cold Pepsi with breakfast.

Two restaurants came and went where D&T is now. One of them even had a 99-cent breakfast to try to get some of Becky's regulars to cross the road. It didn't work.

On Saturday, folks had a retirement party for De La Rosa, and they wrote her notes in a pad of paper in block letters and shaky script, and black, permanent ink.

"You have been there since I was little. You were at all of my baby showers, graduation and other events."

"You were my mother's friend and mine too."

"Your restaurant is the first one Bob & I ever went to eat at. It was one of our first dates. Together 6 years & married for 2 years."

On Thursday morning, Jim Morrison, a biker with a long beard and a Harley cap, walked into Becky's.

"Jim," De La Rosa said, "we're operating on borrowed time."

"Yes, Becky," he said. "We are."

"I'm really upset about this, and I've only been doing this for six years," Brandon said. "Can you imagine the people who have been with Becky for 30 years?

"This is like someone dying. Or a divorce. Really."

"You find out what's going on around here by eating breakfast at Becky's," Dale Anglin said. "It's going to be different now.

"I guess times change."

For the record, the specials at the last breakfast at Becky's were a full order of biscuits and gravy for $2.40 and a cheese omelet with two sausage links, a choice of potato or grits, biscuit or toast for $3.80.

A sign for a lost cat was taped to the bottom of the cash register. A reward was offered. It said to call Tom.

Michael Kruse can be reached at mkruse@sptimes.com or 352 848-1434.

[Last modified April 28, 2006, 01:16:18]