WINSLOW — Bee’s Snack Bar, a beloved eatery for 77 years, is not reopening due to product costs, operating costs and a bridge closure.

Owners Danielle and Fred Sylvester announced the restaurant’s permanent closing on Facebook.

“Good evening (it’s) with our hearts heavy we will no longer be opening due to product cost and bridge closure operating cost are (too) high,” they wrote. “With that said we would like to thank all of our customers near and far for all (their) support over the last 7 1/2 years we could not (have) done it without you.”

The building is located at 1 Lithgow St., overlooking the Kennebec River.

Ticonic Bridge construction closed all vehicle traffic from Waterville to Winslow starting in January, and the closure is expected to last until May. For Waterville residents, the closure can add an extra 10 minutes to cross the river.

More worrisome than the bridge is the water below it. In 1987, nature unleashed her wrath on the riverside restaurant in the worst flood in Maine’s history. Water came up to the eaves of Bee’s Snack Bar, nearly swallowing it whole, but the restaurant survived the flood that swept away seven neighboring homes.

Fairfield resident Kevin Kitchin remembers the flood of ’87, which took place during his senior year of high school. Kitchin grew up in Winslow and frequented Bee’s, ordering the brisket or the special of the day.

“No matter what it was,” he said, “it was good.”

When he came back to central Maine after decades in the military, Kitchin said he found himself back at his usual table.

“I went away for 30 years, came back, and one of the first places I wanted to go to was Bee’s,” Kitchin said.

Kitchin watched the restaurant flood for a second time in December 2023. While less devastating than the 1987 flood, it damaged the restaurant’s floor tiles, refrigerators, freezers and other objects in the basement, according to a Facebook post raising money to help the owners pay for damages.

Bee’s Snack Bar showed resiliency through it all, Kitchin said.

“When I think about Bee’s, just growing up in the area, I think that it’s like the little restaurant that could,” he said. “It just showed resiliency, as much times it’s been flooded, it’s just one of those places where you could go, sit down, have a real home-cooked meal — great people, great atmosphere. It kind of brought you back to being a kid, almost.”

Now, bridge repairs are part of why the restaurant is not reopening, Danielle Sylvester wrote via email.

“The bridge has impacted us along with high (cost) of food,” she wrote.

Bridge closures and Bee’s have a long history. In 1959, just 11 years after opening, temporary bridge construction over the Sebasticook River forced the restaurant to move, as construction crews laid out the highway that would become U.S. Route 201.

To make the move, the building was cut into two parts. One part ended up by local railroad tracks, while the other settled on an Augusta Road site belonging to former owner Arthur LeGoff.

Bee’s is not alone. Big G’s Deli, a staple for 38 years, closed in July due to financial hardships and staffing problems.

Kelli Johnson, Winslow resident, said in a text message it’s difficult to watch the town’s small businesses fall.

“With each flood, road and bridge closure, and with the costs of food on the rise, how can we expect our small businesses like Bee’s to survive let alone thrive?” Johnson wrote.

Bee’s had moments of joy, camaraderie and once fame. In 2003, the television miniseries “Empire Falls” was filmed inside the restaurant, drawing large crowds to catch a glimpse of Paul Newman and Ed Harris. The show aired in 2005 and Paul Newman won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in a series, miniseries or motion picture.

While Bee’s legacy appears to be drawing to a close, Danielle Sylvester said via email it may not be over for the stubborn snack bar.

“Landlord may open back up with new management,” she wrote. “I am not sure.”

Johnson said she hopes the town’s small businesses will be restored.

“You have all truly been valued by the Winslow community and Bee’s will be greatly missed,” Johnson wrote. “I truly hope to see Big G’s and Bee’s make an epic comeback when times are not so hard.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct a name spelling.