A POPULAR soul food restaurant will close its doors for good after almost four decades in business.
After an abrupt announcement, Floyd’s Restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina is set to shutter next week.
The restaurant known for its home-cooked meals was launched in 1986 before moving to its current location in Freedom Mall in 1995.
Its website now states that it will permanently close on June 29, per The Charlotte Observer.
It is the last site of the soul food chain which once had four locations in the early 2000’s.
However, locals have suggested that the location may already be gone.
“Sorry to inform y’all but this restaurant on Graham St has been closed,” one Charlotte resident wrote on Facebook.
“Thought they were already closed,” another added.
Others have mourned the loss with one saying how the city is seeing numerous restaurant losses.
“First Chicken Coop, now this. I loved Floyds Stew Beef and Rice,” they wrote.
While there seems to be confusion over whether the restaurant has already shuttered, the one common factor is that no one knows why the closure has come about.
In the announcement of its closure, the restaurant did not give an explanation and owner Tyrone Floyd has not yet issued a statement.
Attempts by the Observer to contact the restaurant failed as no one answered and messages are no longer being taken.
The family business began as a sandwich shop which gradually expanded to become a fully-fledged restaurant based on recipes by Clatie Bell Floyd, Tyrone’s grandmother from South Carolina.
Tyrone previously spoke to The Charlotte Observer about the success of his family’s restaurant and its ability to survive through the pandemic.
“We never advertise on radio or TV, we just use word of mouth,” the business owner explained.
“One of the things that makes us a little different from everybody else is that when people come here they know what to expect.
“Our food is always going to be consistent, it’s always going to be hot, it’s always going to be fresh and when people know what they’re going to get, they’ll come back.”
However, the entrepreneur has previously discussed the challenges of running a business.
Restaurant closures in 2024
BOSSES at major dining chains have announced a series of restaurant closures. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of the chain’s affected.
- Cracker Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina, and Sacramento, California, have closed.
- Mod Pizza: Bosses dramatically shuttered 27 shops, including in the state of California.
- Frisch’s Big Boy: Restaurant chiefs confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky.
- Two Bucks: Four restaurants in Ohio are set to close.
- Chili’s: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has shut permanently.
- Friendly’s: Bosses confirmed an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island will close.
- Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March.
- Denny’s: Two restaurants in Boise and Nampa, Idaho, have closed.
- Carl’s Jr.: The first Boise, Idaho location has closed.
“Restaurant business is a very stressful environment,” Floyd admitted in an interview with Entrepreneurship Interviews.
When discussing the challenges he has faced, the business owner revealed that much of it had to do with employee retention, licensing, and capital.
He offered key advice to those looking at going into the restaurant business.
“Love what you do and have good credit,” he said.
The U.S. Sun has attempted to contact Floyd for comment.
