WELL, AN ICONIC RESTAURANT IN THE UPSTATE WILL BE CLOSING NEXT MONTH. TANNER’S BIG ORANGE ON SOUTH PLEASANTBURG DRIVE WILL CLOSE DECEMBER 23RD. RASHAD WILLIAMS IS LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE RESTAURANT WITH REACTION FROM SOME LIFELONG CUSTOMERS. RASHAD WELL, JANE, REALLY, ANYTIME YOU’RE CRUISING UP AND DOWN SOUTH PLEASANTBURG, ONE THING THAT IS REALLY HARD TO MISS THAT YOU MAY ALWAYS NOTICE IS THIS BIG ORANGE THAT SITS IN THE SKY AND THE BIG HOT DOG, OF COURSE, THAT’S RIGHT UNDER IT. THIS IS TANNER’S BIG ORANGE, TO BE EXACT. IT JUST CLOSED FOR THE DAY AT 4 P.M., BUT THIS LOCATION IS SET TO CLOSE FOR GOOD NEXT MONTH. TANNER’S BIG ORANGE HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR ALMOST 80 YEARS. AND IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION ON SOUTH PLEASANTBURG HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE 1966. THE GREAT GRANDSON OF ONE OF THE ORIGINAL OWNERS, JOHN ZELLER, IS THE CURRENT OWNER AND THE FOURTH GENERATION OF FAMILY OWNERSHIP. ZELLER SAYS FOR HIM, THE DECISION COMES DOWN TO A FEW THINGS. THE RECENT PASSING OF HIS FATHER, WHICH HE SAYS, QUOTE, TOOK SOME OF THE WIND OUT OF HIS SAILS. THE ECONOMY AND CURRENT INFLATION, HIS HEALTH AND AGE, WHICH IS APPROACHING 70. EARLIER TODAY, WE RAN INTO A MAN WHO SAYS HE WAS BORN IN 1982, AND ONE OF HIS EARLIEST MEMORIES INVOLVES TANNER’S BIG ORANGE. I’VE BEEN COMING HERE SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID. I KNOW MY PARENTS DID TOO, AND MY MOM ALWAYS GOT THE TANNER’S ORANGE PUNCH EVERY YEAR FOR CHRISTMAS. SO YEAH, WE’RE GOING TO MISS IT WHEN IT’S GONE. AND HE HAD A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE WHEN HE WAS TELLING US ABOUT THAT ORANGE PUNCH. BUT AGAIN, TANNER’S WILL BE CLOSING ON DECEMBER 23RD. ZELLER SAYS HE’S SELLING THIS PROPERTY, BUT PLANS TO SAVE AND STORE EVERYTHING FROM THE INSIDE IN HOPES OF ONE DAY EITHER OPENING ANOTHER LOCATION OR SELLING