Ken's Ice Cream and More closes

Ken's Ice Cream and More, a fixture along Tucumcari's Route 66 for decades, abruptly closed last week.

The Facebook page for the restaurant at 1804 E. Route 66 Blvd. posted this message Thursday: "We have closed Ken's. Want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us. We will miss the great customers and wonderful friend(s) we have made in Tucumcari. You will be greatly missed."

A check of the restaurant at lunchtime Thursday showed the building was locked with stools stacked on the tables and ice cream removed from its front coolers. Promotional flags that once were staked on the front of the property were seen lying on the floor near the front counter.

Paula Barnett was listed on the restaurant's Facebook page as the operator of the restaurant since December 2015.

"We weren't making any money," Barnett said. "Business was not there."

Ken's apparently had been operating through Dec. 13. A special for a Philly steak and fries was posted on the restaurant's Facebook page that day.

According to county property records, the restaurant became Ken's Ice Cream in 1979 when Ken Humphreys purchased the property from Virginia Marks. The property now is owned by the Anatole Gutowski trust in Portales.