The diner is the last of four Chop's restaurants to close in the last year.

Chop's Diner ran its last lunch service Friday, June 28 in Castle Hayne as the diner is now permanently closed.

The diner (located at 2539 Castle Hayne Road) is the last of the four Chop's franchise restaurants to shutter. The three deli locations in Monkey Junction, Wrightsville Beach and downtown Wilmington closed last year after owners Brad Corpening and Chris Graham turned to the public for financial help. Owners told the StarNews they felt they expanded too quickly and got behind in sales tax payments to the state.

In June 2018, a GoFundMe account was launched in hopes of raising $100,000 to save all four locations. Corpening then told the StarNews that going down the crowd funding avenue, while it received postive and negative responses, was a "hail Mary" and one of the many irons they in the fire to save Chop's. The exposure from the debacle, he said, garnered some deals from finance professionals.

As for why the diner closed Friday, Graham said the owners wanted to go in a different direction. When asked about the future of Chop's restaurants, he said, "you never know what the future may hold."

Chop's Deli opened downtown in 2009, with the other locations following, and in 2016 the owners opened Chop's Diner. The Wrightsboro eatery sold classic breakfast and lunch plates including omelets, biscuits, salads, sandwiches and chili.

Reporter Ashley Morris can be reached at 910-343-2096 or Ashley.Morris@StarNewsOnline.com.