Dairy Winkle explains decision to permanently close, sell business

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — Dairy Winkle is going away for good.

After the well-known restaurant burned down, the owner said he planned to reopen. The community, and even the Kanawha County Commission, stepped up to help.

Before it fully opened its doors again, it is being closed and sold.

"I'm broken-hearted," Dairy Winkle owner Kerry "Paco" Ellison said.

In January, Dairy Winkle caught on fire, leaving Ellison with an unusable building. On Thanksgiving, Ellison told Eyewitness News of his plans to reopen in February or March of 2024.

But he said an offer has since been made for the business that he couldn't pass up.

"Some guy came by and made me an offer I couldn't refuse at my age and condition," Ellison said. "So we took it, and we closed this afternoon."

The owner said he has been working to repair the building. He used the $35,000 the Kanawha County Commission and the nearly $15,000 raised on GoFundMe by the community to rebuild.

"I know Paco tried very hard to reopen. He used that money to fix the roof, and he used it to fix the inside and the outside of the restaurant," Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango said. "But ultimately, I think what it came down to was getting the kitchen equipment and the additional things that he needed for the interior of the restaurant was going to take a lot more money, and it was money that he didn't have."

So, what exactly happened to the money?

Ellison told Eyewitness News the roof took all of the $35,000 from the county commission.

As for donations from the community, Ellison said it went to other repairs for things like drywall and plumbing.

"It was either go further in debt which is what I was looking at -- and that was an option -- but this prevailed," he said.

The building will now be home to Lorobi's Pizza. While Ellison said he is excited for the new business, he is feeling a mix of emotions as he moves toward retirement.

"My brain thought it was a good idea to retire," Ellison said. "My heart? Really not on board just yet."