VIDA, Ore. (KMTR) -- An iconic, long-time restaurant along the McKenzie River may have made its last pizza pie.
Ike's Lakeside Pizza is now closed according to a message posted on its front reader board on February 16th, 2012. The closure has left many residents wondering what happened and what it means for business in the Vida-area.
The restaurant has been around for decades on Highway 126, about 20-miles east of Springfield, just west of Vida. It's a favorite spot for river floaters, fishermen and the Vida community.
Ike's Pizza's closures has come as a major surprise for many area residents. Residents say the restaurant closed on February 1st, 2012. Today, the large yellow sign out front of the business reads “closed” on both sides.
No one answered the door to the business on Thursday, February 16th, 2012, when NewsSource 16 knocked on the door. All of the blinds to the business have also been pulled down.
Earlier this year, CJ's Riverside Restaurant and Tavern in Vida closed as well.
Ike's closure leaves just Vida Cafe as the only restaurant in the immediate Vida-area.
A cook at Vida Cafe and Vida-area resident, Michael Peterson says while business has increased for the Cafe, many are worried that the closure leaves drivers with one less reason to stop by.
“Well obviously, we're a lot busier, especially the nighttime, it was a great place to go in the evening, but you know, might not bring a lot of people out to this area either,” says Peterson.
Ike's also recently hosted the recording of the season finale of “Finding Bigfoot,” a reality TV show on Animal Planet, along with several “Finding Bigfoot” meetings.
Click here to view a picture of the Finding Bigfoot episode shoot at Ike's Pizza: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-91rdEE9M-ZE/Tge9E82H5lI/AAAAAAAACiA/9v-rSr5u-1k/s1600/panorama-703435.jpg.
A Vida area resident for three years, John Benefiel says Ike's is missed and hopes to see it come back.
“It does concern us,” says Benefiel.
“Ike's was a gathering place of the evening, you know, for the pizza and the chicken, they had wonderful chicken. So that will be missed,” says Benefiel.
Residents are hoping some new signage along the McKenzie River communities will help. The Ford Family Foundation helped several communities along the river build signs with the town name on them. Each one of the signs is posted in private property lots right now. Community members hope to get the signs hanging up along the roadside in the near future.
NewsSource 16 attempted to get ahold of the owners of Ike's Pizza on Thursday, but we were unable to reach anyone.
Many residents told NewsSource 16 on Thursday that they've heard a group of people are trying to get the restaurant reopened but soon, but nothing has been confirmed.
