“It’s just time.”

After 62 years, brothers George and Ernie Sotirakos recently decided the time has come to close the doors of Wein-O-Rama, located at 1009 Oaklawn Ave. in Cranston.

“The people are what I will miss the most,” George said on Tuesday when reached by phone. “I made a lot of friends...they were all important to me. We had so many good employees too.”

The brothers, who are co-owners and cooks, took the reins full time from their father Michael when he retired 30 years ago. George was often joined by his wife Doreen and daughters, Melissa and Stacy.

“We worked hard to keep things going the way he always did,” said George.

Wein-O-Rama was the second restaurant Michael Sotirakos owned and operated. From 1959 to 1963, he ran Mike’s Grill at 827 Park Ave. As a 6-year-old, George remembers the Park Avenue spot, but he wasn’t pressed into service until age 10 when he became a dishwasher at Wein-O-Rama.

“We’ve served five generations [of customers],” George said. One regular was Gene Valicenti, NBC10 News anchor and WPRO morning radio host. “We had a lot of laughs,” said Valicenti. “I would get stories there. You never knew who you would run into there.” And yes, the spot was known for its hot weiners but according to Valicenti, “he made the best chicken salad,” too.

Valicenti would often take his daughters for lunch who lamented on the family text chain that they missed the chance to go one last time. Several people felt the same way as the news spread and they stopped by to take a photo.

“This place was great,” said Tim Wolfe of Cranston, who enjoyed stopping by for breakfast.

When he heard people were coming by to take photos, George said, “I’d just like to thank everyone for their years of support.”