GREENVILLE – The owner of a longtime eatery in the Moosehead Lake region permanently closed the doors to his business last week.

After 35 years of operating the Boom Chain Restaurant, first on South Main Street and later overlooking Moosehead Lake on Pritham Avenue, Earl Richardson has called it quits. Seven employees were affected by the closing.

When Richardson purchased the business about 35 years ago, there were only a couple of restaurants in the community. In recent years, several more have been added to the mix making the competition a bit stiff, he said Tuesday. Add to that the hard work involved in operating a restaurant and it just seemed natural to close the doors, he said.

Richardson said he plans to do something else with the property, most likely in the rental market. He already has received five or six inquiries about renting the property, he said.

“Everybody in the town will miss it I’m sure,” Richardson said, who extended his thanks to all those people who patronized the business over the years.