What’s lost when a family-owned diner closes for good?

More than 90,000 mom-and-pop restaurants have closed in the last two years. DeDe's, in Utah, is one of them

It was a hot Sunday morning in June, a typical summer's day for St George, Utah. The sun beamed through the east-facing cathedral windows of DeDe's, the beloved restaurant that has served Washington county residents for the past decade. Link Feesago leaned back in his seat with a satisfied sigh, having just finished a plate of Kirk Orton's chicken-fried steak, eggs, potatoes and toast. This is a tradition I wanted to pass down to my sons," he said. Twice a month, we'd play nine holes of golf and have breakfast at DeDe's cafe."

That tradition began years ago, when Feesago's mom treated him to lunch there. But she suffered a stroke a year ago and hadn't been able to visit. When DeDe found out, she made my mom's favorite meal - a ham, mushroom and spinach omelet with Swiss cheese and a slice of cantaloupe - and delivered it to the care facility," Feesago said. It's more than food. DeDe made us feel like family."