After more than 80 years in the community, southern comfort food restaurant Eva’s on Main closed its doors for good after its last day of business Wednesday, March 19. Whitney Easler, who owned Eva’s with her husband, Ray, said not to despair — the deli-style Italian restaurant taking its place, Nonna’s Olde World New York Deli and Specialties, will forge its own legacy.
Eva’s on Main will be replaced by a deli-style Italian restaurant.
Aeon Bailey/Journal Scene
“I think they’re going to pour as much love into their business as we did,” Easler said. “This is not new for them. They have years of experience working in the food and beverage industry.”
Eva’s on Main was established in 1944 and had been at 129 S. Main St. since 1952. It was named for Eva Hinson, who operated the business with her husband, Eddie, before he retired and gave her control of the restaurant, according to the Eva’s on Main website. With Eva at the helm, the restaurant took her name. The website also states that Eva was known for peeling potatoes and snapping beans in a rocking chair in the kitchen, as well as making desserts from scratch.
Customers dine Wednesday, March 19, at Eva’s on Main. The restaurant is closing after 80 years and will be replaced by a deli-style Italian restaurant.
Aeon Bailey/Journal Scene
The Easlers took over six years ago when the restaurant went up for sale.
“It’s southern comfort food served with southern hospitality, and we’re all about family, about making you feel at home when you come in,” Easler said. “When you come in and eat at Eva’s, you are always going to find somebody else that you know who’s sitting at the table next to you, and I just love to see the customers striking up conversations with each other. It’s just such a family environment and just so comfortable.”
Easler explained she and her husband wanted to keep tradition alive at Eva’s but add their own style.
“We tweaked it a little bit, made it our own to a degree, kept old recipes,” Easler said. “Two of the girls that work in the kitchen with us today worked for Eva back in the day when they were young girls, and they’re still here with us.”
On its final day of operations, the restaurant was busy with customers. Passersby stopped on the sidewalk to get their last pictures of the sign. Reporters captured the scene. For Easler, saying goodbye was a tear-inspiring process.
“We’ve realized, too, that, as Eva knew herself, you put a lot of hard work into running a restaurant if you’re an owner-operator, and so it took up a lot of time,” Easler said. “It was worth it, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, but we were ready to spend more time with our family.”
She extended her thanks to the community.
“Thank you to this community that just supported us from day one as soon as we walked in the door,” Easler said. “We knew that we made some little changes and made it our own, so we got past that transition, and the local businesses here, the individuals who work in town hall, just everyone has been phenomenal. The folks at the chamber of commerce, the folks at Summerville DREAM. We are so grateful for these neighbors here because they really have carried us through.”