So long sweet potato souffle.

Likewise the wonderfully gooey creamed spinach and the tangy lime Jell-O with shredded carrots inside.

Yes, Roanoke said goodbye to all that Monday with the abrupt closing of the 27-year-old S&S Cafeteria at Towers Shopping Center.

"God have mercy," said a stunned Madeline Turner, raising one hand to her chest as if she were about to faint upon seeing an announcement on the eatery's door.

The retiree summarized the sentiments of a steady stream of would-be customers who showed up during the noon hour. Many pulled on the door in disbelief before slowly turning back to the parking lot and considering where their next meal would come from.

"I really don't know where we'll go now. We've been coming here, sometimes several times a week, ever since we got married 16 years ago," said Tony Chapman, holding hands with his wife, Sandra.

There's a dependable drill at the S&S, where diners were oh-so-used to picking up those turquoise trays, still warm from a vigorous washing, and sliding them along past simmering pans full of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and broccoli. "Gravy?" the servers would ask. "Butter?" A gentle pressure for decisionmaking pushed the customer line along at a steady pace. Twinkling desserts -- from Key lime pie to strawberry shortcake -- beckoned from within easy reach.

The S&S had many loyal diners, but not enough, said J.A. Smith IV, a vice president of Smith & Sons, based in Macon, Ga. "It takes 6,000 to 7,000 regular customers a week to support a cafeteria. That's because we feed people for $3 or $4 apiece. It's not like Outback Steakhouse or some other places that can charge $15 per check. And we have only been getting about 4,500 customers a week the last few years."

The cafeteria closed without notice, said Joe Marx, property manager for Rappaport Cos., the McLean-based owner of Towers. "It was a surprise," he said.

Smith said that the cafeteria's 40 employees would be offered other jobs in the company "if they want to move." S&S has 12 remaining restaurants in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. The closest one is in Knoxville, he said. "All our other locations are strong and doing fine."

Besides restaurants, Smith & Sons, which is privately owned, also has operations that supply food to nursing homes and hospitals.

But it's the venerable cafeterias that have the highest profile with Roanokers, especially retirees.

S&S isn't the only cafeteria chain to pull back in recent years. Louisiana-based Piccadilly Cafeteria has closed more than two dozen locations since 2001. And Luby's of San Antonio shuttered at least 25 outlets in the Southwest.

None of that was any consolation for Roanokers on Monday. "It's just sad," said Suzy Mitchell, a fan of S&S's broiled fish. She was among those dismayed by the cafeteria chain's assertion that business was weak. "There was always a line of people, especially on the weekends."

In recent years, S&S had tried to attract more families. The Roanoke S&S, the chain's only location in Virginia, had started sponsoring kids' night every Thursday, bringing in magicians and other entertainment. It also had begun to offer a 99-cent meal for children on weekdays and all day on weekends. None of that did anything for profit margins though; it was merely an attempt to boost total customer counts closer to that magic range of 6,000 to 7,000.

The exit of S&S still leaves the Roanoke Valley with at least one cafeteria chain: K&W. K&W has six locations in Virginia and West Virginia, including three in the valley. Albert Mitchell, district manager for those K&W outlets, said the one at Crossroads Mall in Roanoke gets the most business of all of them. The typical crowd there ranges in age from 55 to 85, also most of the clientele for S&S.

Some such customers squinted long and hard at the sign on the locked front door Monday, seeming unable to comprehend the note of finality posted in the name of R.M. Bennett, senior vice president of operations and administration: "We do this with regrets and sad hearts." He bid all the S&S faithful "an affectionate farewell."