After 14 years in The Alley, Davor's restaurant will serve its final meal May 21.
Closing the popular eatery in downtown Aiken was a bittersweet decision, owner Heidi Sklizovic said, but the closure will give her more time to spend with family.
"Family needs to come first," she said. "It's just time. I'll be able to spend more time with the three boys I have at home."
Sklizovic, who also is a registered nurse during the day, said she always has been active in the day-to-day running of the restaurant.
"You're always on call," Sklizovic said. "You're married to it, I like to say. I've worked every position in the restaurant."
Sklizovic shared many of those responsibilities with her mom, Sandy Zotter, who has been an important part of Davor's since the first day.
Sklizovic said customers have responded with kind words since she initially announced the restaurant's closing on Facebook.
"I've had a lot positive comments, feedback and love from everybody," she said. "We had no experience going into it. So, being here 14 years makes me feel good that we've been a success story for downtown."
Zotter said she and her daughter have experienced special occasions from weddings to adoption celebrations to engagements.
"We have made so many good friends," she said.
Sklizovic's husband and the restaurant's namesake, Davor, and his son, Luka, started the family-run business, offering tapas, small plates of a variety of dishes. From that beginning, Davor's began offering full homemade entrees from a menu that changed every day.
Sklizovic said Davor's will be "business as usual" for the next two weeks and has no special plans for closing day but added, "I'm sure it will turn into some sort of farewell party. We've already had people who've said they will be here every day."
Sklizovic attributed much of Davor's success to her staff.
"Many of them have been here at least five years now," she said. "They have been very faithful. They're like my extended family."
An Aiken native, Larry Wood is a general assignment reporter. He joined the Aiken Standard in September 2014.