We urge the community embrace the sale of Sheldon’s Restaurant and Motel as the beginning of a new era, as termed by former owner Grover Sheldon Jr., who said the sale of the business began forming two years ago after the businesses’ 75th anniversary.

“We’ve had two meetings with the new owners and we’re very pleased. It’s a good fit because there will be no changes as far as the staff, the food, the hotel, catering or anything like that,” Sheldon said.

According to Sheldon, the new owner, Jay Shah, owns hotels, convenience stores and gas stations in Richmond and in North Carolina, where he’s the principal of A&S Hotels LLC. Shah has brought in his own general manager, Dee Patel, to work for Sheldon’s.

We congratulate the Sheldon family for their hard work over the past 75-plus years, providing employment to hundreds of people — many of whom worked their first jobs at the restaurant — and for uniting the community.

The business has a long history of service to the community and the good people of Charlotte — one we hope Shah will continue to carry on.

“It’s my home away from home,” said Charlotte County resident Garland Clark, who visits the restaurant most mornings to break up his day.

This is the third time ownership has changed in the past 77 years, but the first time ownership has been in the hands of someone unrelated to the Sheldon family.

“It’s not your typical fast food place. We have excellent employees, as well as cooks, and we come together in bits and pieces to put it all together,” Sheldon said. “It’s been a very rewarding experience.”

We offer our congratulations to Grover on his retirement and commend the Sheldon family and their staff for a job well done.