Sadness. Magnolia Grill is closing.
We'd love you to share your favorite memories of the Durham restaurant that started it all. Have at it in the comments.
We'll just add that we loved working with owners Karen and Ben Barker. They were quick with praise for their employees, like the time they urged us to share the story of General Manager Stewart Orgain, who started at Magnolia as a busboy. And they were nothing but gracious to us here at Durham Magazine, especially in the early years.
I'll always cherish this note, sent from Karen after our inaugural Foodie Issue in August 2010.
"Kudos to you and the entire staff of Durham Magazine for yet another outstanding issue-you really managed to capture the history and vibrancy of the local food scene. When we decided to locate our restaurant in Durham in the mid 80's folks thought we were crazy...boy have things changed! We have always been and will continue to be supporters of this unique and wonderful town-thanks again for showcasing it on a monthly basis."
We wish Karen and Ben nothing but the best, and hope they'll continue to fnd ways to contribute to the Durham food scene that they almost single-handedly started.
