An iconic South Jersey diner calls it quits. A Wawa will replace it.

Diners in the Philadelphia region continue to drop like plates in the kitchen.

The latest iconic eatery to close is the Red Lion Diner, a staple on the Route 70/206 circle in Southampton, Burlington County, for 50 years.

“It’s bittersweet for us as all,” co-owner Paul Tsiknakis told The Inquirer on Thursday. “A lot of blood and sweat went into that place.”

The Red Lion Diner’s abrupt closure was announced on Facebook on Sept. 9.

“With a heavy heart we must inform you that the Red Lion Diner has sold. We will not be opening again. We appreciate all the support and patronage throughout the years. It was a difficult decision however we chose what was best for our families,” the statement read.

Tsiknakis said a developer purchased the property to build a convenience store and gas station, a.k.a., a Wawa. He said the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated food shortages and rise in costs, walloped the business. The diner, he said, “mastered” takeout, but that created problems of its own.

“When you have a 300-seat diner, you’re built for those tables to be filled,” he said.

In April, the Cherry Hill Diner, on Route 38, served its last meal after 55 years. It’s set to become a car wash. The former Marlton Diner, on Route 70, is becoming a marijuana dispensary. In South Philly, the Melrose Diner will be reborn as an apartment complex with a new eatery on the ground floor.

Tsiknakis said COVID-19 changed the diner business, everything from finding employees to eating habits. Few, if any diners are open 24 hours anymore, he said.

“In general, people that come to diners typically don’t come at night, after 9 p.m., anymore,” he said.

Leo, the Red Lion Diner’s famous 12,000-pound marble lion, was sold to a local business, Red Lion Metal, Tsiknakis said, transported recently with a tow truck. Proceeds from the sale were donated to the New Jersey State Police Troopers United Fund.