TEMPLE, Texas — A beloved burger business in Temple is closing its doors after serving the community for over 30 years.
While the bright orange A-shape of Rylander's Best Hamburgers immediately catches the eye, it's what's found inside that has left a lasting legacy on Temple's community, two incredible owners.
Cottle Rylander first moved to the area when he was just six years old. His father opened Whataburger at first in April of 1969.
On April 1, 1993, Rylander bought the restaurant from his father, along with Bruce Lanphear, his business partner and best friend. Whataburger then turned into Rylander's.
"People would tell you he was known as the boss man, and I was known as the night cook," Lanphear said.
It was a place people grew up going to.
"It's better than Whataburger," Dan McNeill, a long-time customer, said. "Good service, good price, you just couldn't beat it."
"This is our favorite place," Sarah Durham added. "When we had people come in town we would bring them here just because it was a unique, cool place to come and get a burger."
"They had the best burgers," Durham's daughter told 6 News.
"There's nothing like this," Alan Palmer, another long-time customer, said. "There's nothing wrong with the other restaurants, they're just not Rylander's."
The owners even knew their customers by name.
"We watched grandkids grow up to be parents," Lanphear said.
It's reasons like this that kept the Durham family coming back.
"Every time when we went there the guy always had a joke for us," Durham's son said.
Rylander died on April 4 of septic shock.
"We came this week," Palmer said. "We knew about the passing of Cottle. We didn't know for sure what would it mean for the restaurant. Bruce told us Tuesday night it'll be closing for good."
What's lost is something greater, a man who lit up the restaurant as soon as he walked in.
"His niceness, his generosity, his open-heartedness," is how Lanphear described Rylander.
Now, Lanphear is left with memories and pictures.
"He lost his partner," Palmer told 6 News. "He lost his job with 30 years working. It was family to him."
It's a hard goodbye.
"He would, and I would like to thank the public very much for their support of over 31 years," Lanphear said. "We were known as Whataburger. I've been cooking on the grill since '85. He's been there all his life, but I would like and he would like to thank the public for all their support, prayers and everything they've ever done and help us to support ourselves as a private individual business."
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