BREMERTON — The owners of the Airport Diner, which has served its famous fish and chips to customers at Bremerton National Airport for over 20 years, announced Monday that the popular restaurant will close at the end of this year.

The Port of Bremerton plans to replace the building that houses the Airport Diner beginning next year. The diner's lease is up at the end of 2019, and the lengthy closure time combined with the costs to start up again would be financially difficult to manage, said Tom Dacy, a member of the family that runs the diner.

"I've seen the plans, and they're beautiful, but it's going to be six to eight months," Dacy said. "I can't really afford to go that amount of time and then come up with the money to reopen."

The port has been working with the family to try to keep the diner open and under the Dacy family's control, Port of Bremerton CEO Jim Rothlin said. On Monday, Dacy posted a statement to the diner's Facebook page confirming the diner would close Dec. 31.

"Unfortunately, due to the condition of the building, early July is the earliest we could possibly reopen," the statement reads.

The Airport Diner building was built in the late 1970s and is "long overdue" for a renovation, port commissioner Axel Strakeljahn said. After studying the structure, the port decided it would be more cost-effective to knock the building down to studs and rebuild with a more modern design.

"(The Airport Diner is) something that is advertised in-flight magazines and we have planes that fly in from all over the country just to have lunch there," Strakeljahn said. "It's our intention to continue to provide that diner and that service to the community."

Dacy's family took over the diner in 2006 after the previous owners retired. The diner had long been known for its fish and chips and as an excellent place to view takeoffs and landings from Bremerton National Airport. Since then, Dacy has expanded the menu to include a brunch buffet, burgers and sandwiches.

The diner is a true family affair — Dacy cooks omelets while his wife, Kathy, cuts desserts. Dacy's mother makes fresh pies for the diner and his dad does the books.

Dacy called outpouring of support he received on Facebook after announcing that the diner would close "overwhelming."

"I do get the interaction with the people on Sundays but you don't get that kind of support all at once," Dacy said. "It was very touching."

The port is in the process of designing the new building and has a preliminary concept in place, Rothlin said. The goal is to keep a restaurant in the space while making the building more energy-efficient, adding outdoor seating, upgrading the kitchen and installing a conference area.

"I 100 percent respect (Dacy's) decision to not move on and we're going to support him and ask people to continue to support him until he decides to close down," Rothlin said.

Work on the new building is expected to start in January 2020 after the Dacys move out, Rothlin said. The Airport Diner's last day in business will be Dec. 31. Until then, Dacy said he plans to run the restaurant as usual.

"Thank you for all the support of the years," the statement posted at the diner reads. "We will be happy to see you until January and will miss you when you're gone."