39-year-old Fort St. John diner to close for two months amid hiring difficulties

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local diner has had to close for the summer after nearly 40 years due to a lack of kitchen staff. 

The Silver Creek Cookhouse, a diner on Alaska Road open in the community for 39 years, announced in a June 20th Facebook post it will be temporarily closing on July 1st due to not being able to find a new cook. 

Monica Preston, the cookhouse’s owner, explained the diner would be closed from July 1st to September 4th. 

“It is time to spend some quality time with my family before time runs out,” Preston wrote. 

Comments on the post expressed gratitude to the restaurant owner and excitement for the reopening. 

“Good for you and we will wait as patient[ly] (impatiently) as we can for you to reopen,” Tracy Janzen Wilson commented.

“Enjoy your very, very much deserved time off!”  

Preston declined an interview with Energeticcity.ca, but expressed her sadness at the decision to close.