After 75 years of service, future of beloved Wake County restaurant uncertain

Since 1946, Toot-n-Tell Restaurant in Garner has grown from a tiny drive-thru to a beloved local eatery — but its doors may have closed for good.

Customers approaching the bright blue and yellow facade of the building at 903 W. Garner Road are now met with a “For Lease” sign out front.

Text scrawled on a window by the door reads “Sorry closed on ‘Sundays’ now (not enough people to work).” Around back, tables and chairs lie next to a Dumpster.

The restaurant, a family-run operation since it was founded 75 years ago, was sold to Landstar Investment Group on Aug. 9, according to county records.

In a comment on the restaurant’s Facebook page, Donna Sparkman, the previous owner of the restaurant, said she had sold it because of staffing issues.

“I hope they will keep it going!” she said of the new owners. “It’s been 45 years full time for me and you just can’t find enough people to work!”

The News & Observer has reached out to Sparkman and Landstar Investment for more information.

It remains unclear what the fate of the restaurant will be.

Tables and chairs are piled behind Toot-n-Tell, near a dumpster, on Sept. 27, 2021.

In its decades-long run, Toot-n-Tell served up burgers, hot dogs, fries and all sorts of Southern favorites, in addition to its buffet specials.

The memorable name came from its origins as drive-in only food service, instructing customers to toot their horn and tell their order, Our State Magazine reported last year.

The drive-up window, a fixture of the restaurant, remains highlighted on a sign that towers above the building.