Longtime Mark’s Kitchen owner Mark Choe, 69, says he hasn’t had a real vacation since he and his wife took their then-5 year old son to Ocean City, Maryland. That child, Peter, is now 21 and in college.

“I’m retiring because I’m too tired. Very tired,” says Choe, whose beloved Takoma Park diner has served Korean and American dishes on Carroll Avenue for over three decades.

Choe expects to hang up his apron by the end of February. Once he officially retires from the restaurant industry, he plans to take a family vacation to California and then to his home country of South Korea. He says he’d like to travel all around the United States — he hasn’t seen much of it since emigrating to the U.S. in 1985 because he’s spent almost all of his time working in the Montgomery County suburb.

Running Mark’s Kitchen has been a grueling albeit rewarding experience, he says. Now he’s ready to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

“Thirty-two years is a long time,” Choe tells DCist/WAMU inside his cozy diner, where a few patrons were enjoying plates of breakfast food and sandwiches for a late lunch on a recent afternoon.

Choe opened Mark’s Kitchen in 1990, before Takoma Park had so many restaurants. Choe says he’s thankful to the residents who’ve continued to frequent his spot even as their dining options have ballooned.

Mark’s is one of several longtime businesses in the neighborhood closing up shop this year, including Takoma Framers and Kinetic Artistry. Choe announced his retirement last month and planned on closing Mark’s Kitchen at the end of January. But four separate parties are still negotiating with the landlord to take over his lease, Choe says, and two of them are interested in keeping the restaurant as Mark’s Kitchen. So he decided to stay open until all of that is finalized — which is why he’s not able to offer an exact closing date. But he is certain it’ll stay a restaurant, and expects to be handing over the keys by the end of February.

Mark’s Kitchen is a Takoma Park mainstay. He’s got the accolades, in true Takoma fashion, to prove it. The City Council even formally recognized the diner last month for offering a wide variety of dishes, from American classics to Korean specialties to vegan options; employing hundreds of neighborhood residents over the years, including many teens who had their first job there; and hosting weekly benefit nights that helped to raise thousands of dollars for community groups.

Many locals have come to depend on Mark’s for a familiar, affordable meal. Ray Lewis, 23, grew up in Takoma Park. She recalls her father bringing home takeout from the restaurant when she was younger. Now, she works next door, at The Covered Market, so will frequently patronize Mark’s on her own. Last Sunday, Lewis got her usual chicken fingers and a chai milkshake. Choe’s son, who worked at the restaurant when he took time off from college, first recommended the milkshake and would regularly refer to her as ‘Chai Latte’ whenever she came in.

“I am going to be heartbroken when they close their doors one final time,” Lewis tells DCist/WAMU. “Not only is it an amazing option if you want to get something quick, good, and not expensive, but the people there, especially his son. You just make a bond and connection with people.”

Choe feels similarly. He calls the Takoma Park neighborhood a family and names regulars who come twice a day for breakfast and dinner.

“They respected this kind of business because it’s casual. It’s not fancy,” Choe says of the neighborhood.

He had two other businesses in Takoma Park over the years, a grocery store and a coffee shop/deli that have since closed, but Mark’s Kitchen remains his favorite.

He remembers his time at the restaurant fondly, even the more challenging times. He says the neighborhood immediately welcomed him after he took over the space from another desolate restaurant. He painted Mark’s himself. He would cook the extensive menu himself too, starting off with a few dishes at its inception — hamburgers, Korean steak, and sesame noodles — then adding vegetarian and vegan options as the neighborhood and demand changed.

Choe didn’t expect his son, Peter, to work at the restaurant nor did he expect him to take over his business, “because I know it’s very hard,” he says. His son is majoring in English in college, but would still work at Mark’s Kitchen when he wasn’t at school.

“I’m very impressed about him,” he says of his son. “I didn’t expect anything. He learned fast. He’s like magic, you know, he knows everything. He picks up everything.”

Business has been steady over the years, even as more restaurants opened and he’s had to “share his customers.” The COVID-19 pandemic made things very hard, but Choe had good relationship with the landlord, who cut him breaks, but he still had to use his own money to keep his business afloat, he says. The federal Small Business Administration COVID loan wasn’t enough, he adds.

Being hit with rising costs due to inflation after surviving the pandemic only confirmed to him that he needed to retire soon. Plus, he figured another business might be able to keep up with the changing neighborhood.

Longevity in the restaurant business is by no means a given, so Mark’s Kitchen making it 32 years is quite the feat. Choe says the secret to his success is being honest with his customers. And he remains grateful to them as he starts this next chapter. “They support me. They make me business. Always nice. Thank you very much, Takoma Park neighborhood.”