KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — A beloved Kanawha County restaurant has decided to close its doors, making way for a new business.

Kerry “Paco” Ellison, the owner of the Dairy Winkle on Campbells Creek Drive, told 13 News that it was a number of factors that led them to deciding it was time to close shop.

The Dairy Winkle was damaged in a fire back in January, and the owners have since been working to rebuild all that was lost, but setbacks and delays have repeatedly pushed back the reopening.

While it was a tough decision, Ellison expressed that his heart wasn’t in it anymore. He was getting older and the rebuild had been tough. So when he got an offer he couldn’t refuse, it was decided that Dairy Winkle’s time had come to an end.

The new owner, James Gilpen, plans to turn the location into a Lorobi’s Pizza, which will open in two months.

As for the Dairy Winkle “weinerman” statue that briefly went missing in January, Ellison said he isn’t sure what will happen to it at the moment.

According to Kanawha County Commission Public Information Officer Megan Bshara, no decision has been made on what will happen to the $35,000 that was awarded to Dairy Winkle to aid in its rebuilding.