AUSTIN, Texas -- People are saying their goodbyes to a legendary North Austin restaurant.

“I’m really sorry to see it go," one patron said. "You know - good food, good people. Austin at its best.”

The Akin family helped keep The Frisco Shop an Austin favorite for generations. With today’s changing economy making it hard to keep up, they’ve decided to bow out gracefully.

“After 65 years, we decided it was time to wind it down," said the restaurant's co-owner, Harry Akin.

Since announcing the end of the restaurant, folks have poured in to enjoy their last meal at the Austin staple. Whether it be enchilada plates, or the bittersweet taste of their favorite pie, everyone has that one meal that reminds them of their younger days. Jason Crowe visited the restaurant on its last day to reminisce about eating at Frisco as a child.

“I just remember, you know, ordering a down-South burger with onion rings and sitting around with my family," Crowe said. "Now that they’re closing I just wanted to come by one more time.”

The Frisco used its influence to become more than just a restaurant. The owners became community leaders in the push for integration in the food industry. Lawrence Baker, a black man hired as a busboy-turned-manager, is living proof. Baker started working for Frisco in the ‘50s. He worked his way up to manager and part owner during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

“I think if I had been working anywhere else I wouldn’t have gotten that opportunity,” Baker said.

By just holding that position, he and the other black managers hired by the Akin family made a huge statement.

“This restaurant meant a lot to me and a lot of people, too," he said. “It gave black people hope.”

That hope helped to make The Frisco the legendary restaurant it became. Even though the doors closed, the memories made behind them carry on that legacy.

“It’s a sense of love and loyalty that we’ve encountered here," Akin said. "It’s been totally remarkable and I will always remember it."