What's the latest with this Wilmington steakhouse restaurant closure?

A popular Wilmington steakhouse that recently closed had plans to stay open through the summer.

However, Port City Chop House at 1981 Eastwood Road in Wilmington closed on Thursday, April 14, according to a sign posted on the door.

“We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience,” the sign said, and cited staffing issues as the reason for the closure.

Ralph Singleton, director of operations for Chop Houses of North Carolina, said there were plans in place to keep the restaurant open through the summer.

"Unfortunately, there was a chain of events that led us to close earlier than we anticipated," he said.

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Port City Chop House is one of three in the state owned by Keith Hall. The others are Capital City Chop House near Raleigh in Morrisville and the Chop House at Mendenhall in High Point.

The Wilmington location had been in business for more than 23 years as a classic steakhouse restaurant.

"On behalf of Keith Hall and all of us, I want to thank the customers who helped us continue for so long, and all of the employees who have worked here over the years," Singleton said.

Those with Port City Chop House gift certificates will be able to use them at the other locations, he said. Other news about a possible sale, rebranding or reopening of the restaurant should be available in the coming months.

Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: UPDATE: Port City Chop House restaurant in Wilmington is closed