Bagel Palace, a metro Atlanta institution, closes its doors Sunday

Bagel Palace, considered by many people to be an institution for Jewish deli food, announced Saturday night that it would be closing Sunday.

The Toco Hill restaurant had been open for 25 years, according to a Facebook post. No one from the restaurant returned a phone call seeking comment about the decision to close, but the post said with the current rent, “it was impossible to stay.”

Hundreds of patrons shared the news and commented on the post. The restaurant’s proprietors said in response to some comments that they would be seeking another location.

Liam Grove, who went to Bagel Palace Sunday for one last Reuben sandwich, said there was a long line of people getting to-go bagels before the 4 p.m. close. To him, the charm of the restaurant was its stubbornness — a menu that hasn’t been updated in decades and a “quaint and homely” feel.

“They were dead-set against changing anything,” he said.

Grove said he and his wife went on early dates there, and they had brought their daughter on several occasions.

“Whole generations of people grew up there,” he said of the restaurant. “Everything felt homemade, for better or worse.”

For openings, closing and other changes in Atlanta’s restaurant scene, check out the Atlanta Restaurant Scene blog at http://atlantarestaurants.blog.ajc.com/.