Popular restaurant closes after serving Rigby for decades
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RIGBY — An iconic local restaurant has closed its doors forever after decades in operation.
Me’n Stans closed for the final time Sunday just before 4 p.m. when employees at the business were notified and given their final checks.
“It’s just time. I have been at this for over 60 years,” Stan Colborn, owner of Me’n Stans told EastIdahoNews.com, after locking the doors Sunday. “I’m 82 years old. I’m ready to sit down.”
Colborn says a large part of his decision to toss in the towel is society.
“When I first started in the restaurant business, I had people who not only needed a job, they wanted a job, they came to work to work. Now, the work ethic is gone, people don’t know how to take out the trash, they come to work and sit.”
Colborn said he has seen the steady decline in work ethic among today’s youth and it disappoints him.
“I really just can’t afford it anymore. It’s gotten so much worse in the last few years,” Colborn said. “I used to have a sense of pride, putting people to work, helping feed their families. Now people walk out on me, collect unemployment and I see them drive through town in a nicer car than I could ever afford. All of that is gone now. I just can’t afford it.”
Colborn talked highly of his more focused employees.
The building that Me’n Stans has resided in since 1985 at West Main Street and North State Street has been for sale for a couple months.
Now, Colborn says he plans to gut the restaurant and auction off a number of the antiques inside.
“It might take us a few weeks to get it all together,” Colborn says. “I don’t plan on moving fast, but we’ll get it all together and auction it off.”