A popular Northern Kentucky restaurant suddenly shuts its doors. A sign up at Walt’s Hitching Post in Fort Wright, Kentucky says “closed temporarily for renovations.”

The restaurant at Madison Pike and Kyles Lane has been there for decades. The news took many customers by surprise. The place is especially known for their BBQ ribs.

“There’s sadness for employees, our customers and the community as well. We have decided to regroup, reassess our business, and remodel,”

said Billy Melton, one of several sisters who have been running the business since their father, Bill, passed away three years ago.

Burrt Travis can brag he’s been coming for nearly fifty years.

“I knew Billy (the patriarch) when he opened it….I’ve had parties here, I’ve brought my family here. My kids came here, now my grandkids come here. It’s going to be a loss for the entire community. There’s nothing else you can say. Everybody’s sad,”

he said.

Travis is the attorney for the Brotherhood Singers, who sing at the place during the week.

Also in the house, Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning and his wife Mary, who’ve enjoyed eating ribs and chicken livers at the restaurant for more than 40 years.

“Bill Melton was a very good friend and the Melton family has been a very good friend of ours for a long, long time and we’re sorry to see that they’re going to be closing down for a while,”

said Bunning.