Four downtown New Bedford restaurants close — what does this mean for the dining scene?
NEW BEDFORD — Last week, food lovers of the city's downtown restaurant scene were shocked with the news that four places were closing.
Whaling City Diner, Cafe Italia Ristorante, Juice'd Cafe and The Vault Music Hall (which used to be known as Greasy Luck) announced on their respective Facebook pages they would be shutting down indefinitely.
"We're really sorry for the abrupt closure, it was just some circumstances out of our control," said Luis Gonsalves, who owns Juice'd Cafe with his wife, Stacey Gonsalves.
"We would love to serve our fans at our Fall River location," he said, adding they will be opening another Juice'd cafe at 835 North Main St. in Fall River in early Fall 2022.
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Gonsalves alluded to a disagreement between their building's landlord as the main reason for exiting their Kempton Street location.
"That's the whole reason why we're entrepreneurs... the freedom," he said. "When someone backs you into a situation, you have to do what's best for you and your family."
Gonsalves, who is originally from New Bedford, said the cafe was profitable when they were forced to close. The duo hopes maybe to return to the city with a Juice'd food truck in the near future.
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In a previous Standard-Times interview, Whaling City Diner owner Elsa Defaria and her husband Douglas Sterling, were cryptic but positive about their decision to shut down their 11 year dining staple.
“We’ve decided it’s time to move on and to pursue new opportunities,” Defaria said. “We are extremely grateful to our wonderful customers and staff who have supported us during that time.”
They will continue expanding on their first venture, Clark’s Point Creamery on Brock Avenue.
According to The Vault's Facebook, the music hall closed down on June 12, with plans to reschedule all the planned concerts at other venues. "The Pub side will be closing down as well, with tentative plans to reopen under a new concept," the post stated.
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At Cafe Italia Ristorante on Pleasant Street, Chef Nick Ricciardi shared unfortunate news that he was diagnosed with cancer, on his Facebook page, as the reason for closing down suddenly.
"I would like to thank all of our amazing customers for all of your business and support," Ricciardi wrote. "It has been amazing 13 years of living my dream and serving all of you that are not only customers but also have become friends.
"I bid you all farewell."
Brandon Roderick, owner of the The Baker, has worked across from Cafe Italia on Pleasant Street for the past six years, and said it was disheartening to hear about all the businesses around his bakery closing.
"I feel so bad for the owners of those places that invested all their time, energy and money," he said.
Roderick, who said he has a good pulse on the local business community, believes no other businesses will follow any time soon,
"I hope I'm right," he said. "I think these were outliers, and had extensive or extraneous circumstances that caused them to close."
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However, he said many restaurants and stores who relied heavily on government assistance are now facing harsh realities now that most funding has stopped.
"I think everyone's just kind of re-evaluating this lifestyle that goes along with being a small restaurant or small cafe owner and making the choice that's best for them," he said.
With the extra pressures of price inflation and supply issues, he said several owners have been reconsidering if their time is worth it, especially if their profit margins are barely passable on a monthly basis.
"That's why we've been seeing a mass exodus of restaurant workers leaving the industry," he added. "It's stressful, and it's getting to a lot of the owners."
Roderick said he's observed landlords raising rent in the downtown area, which has been a major factor for businesses. The lease for The Baker ends in December, but he is prepared to re-sign.
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"Having a good relationship with your landlord is important, and hopefully they understand the position the businesses are in as well," he said. "We have that with our landlord. It's a nice fit."
What will happen to these places?
With now three storefronts empty, Roderick said he's worried it might take a while to see them filled with new tenants. "I would be hesitant to open a new business right now," he added.
However, he said the more businesses around each other play a role in attracting customers.
Sara Gonzalez, who co-owns New Bedford Food Tours with her wife, Pamela Shwartz, said they were sad to hear about the restaurant closures.
Although none of the recent closures impacted their food tour directly, Gonzalez said closures should be a reminder of how important it is to continue highlighting the downtown dining scene.
"The people and food are simply irreplaceable," she said. "I think that’s the hardest thing about restaurants closing, you can never quite recreate that magical blend of factors that make an eatery special."
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However, Gonzalez said it's encouraging to know that other newcomers will continue to pop up around the downtown area.
For example, Mirasol's Cafe is opening on the pier, Freestone's is preparing for its re-opening and the old Kruger's Brother Supply Co. is in the early stages of becoming a new restaurant on Union Street.
"All driven by a love of food and a passion for sharing it," Gonzalez said.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford's Whaling City Diner, Cafe Italia, Juice'd, Vault close
