LAKEWOOD, Colo. — After serving as a Denver-area dining institution for near half a century, White Fence Farm will close its doors for good at the end of the year.

“It took many months of decision-making,” general manager Whitney Carloss said. “It didn’t come overnight and it didn’t come lightly.”

The fried chicken genre opened in the summer of 1973 at 6263 W. Jewell Ave. in Lakewood. It will close on Dec. 30.

“We have been operating at a net monthly loss for a considerable amount of time,” co-owner Craig Caldwell said in a statement. “Efforts to create a profitable operation were not successful and we can no longer operate in this capacity.”

Caldwell also said the Front Range is suffering from an extreme labor shortage that has caused costs to rapidly rise the past three years.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of different industries in Colorado paying a lot more than the hospitality. So getting and retaining good help based on what they would like to be paid and what we’d like to pay them has been difficult,” Carloss said.

Families regularly flocked to the farm that included the Americana Barn with Granny’s and a farmhouse stage, Country Cottage, OK Corral, Carriage House, Waterside Walk, Hospitality House, Gazebo, Silo, Pig Chute, Colorado Christmas year-round, Carriage Rides and more.

The restaurant will operate regular hours until its final day.

All of the farm animals have been adopted and will be relocated when the restaurant closes.