Perry’s Smorgy, a Waikiki buffet restaurant that’s provided comfort food to generations of tourists and residents, is closing tonight, workers and customers said.

The restaurant at Kuhio Avenue and Kanekapolei Street offers a $12.99 dinner buffet and is also open for breakfast and lunch.

Workers said they’ve been telling regular customers about the closure, but said they were not allowed to talk to the news media.

Jessica Rich, president of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, said she heard about the closure a couple of weeks ago and dropped by last night.

"We wanted to go and say goodbye," she said. "We wanted the workers to know they were appreciated."

Landowner Queen Emma Land Co. has plans to redevelop the parcel and the nearby International Marketplace.

Rich said Perry’s offered value and a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere in bustling Waikiki.

"It’s just basic good food — corn on the cob, mashed potatoes with gravy — and you get a lot for your money," Rich said. "There’s something there for everybody."

A second Perry’s Smorgy location, on Lewers Street, closed a few years ago.