ANDERSONVILLE — One of Andersonville’s newest restaurants has abruptly closed, leaving staff to scramble for new jobs during the holiday season.
Stone Fox, 5721 N. Clark St., announced on Facebook on Tuesday that it was closing effective immediately. The restaurant opened in February, offering elevated and internationally inspired bar food and drinks.
February is a notoriously slow time for the service industry, but the restaurant gained a following in the warmer months, when its patio became a popular spot for al fresco dining, former restaurant staffers told Block Club.
The summer momentum did not appear to carry over into the fall, according to a note left in the restaurant’s window.
“We had a great 6 weeks in the summer but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to sustain us through the winter,” the note reads. “It was a short run but an enjoyable one.”
Stone Fox’s abrupt closure came as a shock to staff. A former manager at the restaurant said they received less than 24 hours notice of the closure.
“It’s not fun,” said the manager, who asked not to be named because they are applying for jobs in the area. “In the service industry, it’s darn near impossible to get a job in the winter.”
A former server at Stone Fox, Angelina Lucero, has launched a GoFundMe to help the staff make it through the holidays while they seek new employment. Lucero left her job at Stone Fox a week before the closure but still has friends on the staff, she said.
“I think it’s insane that someone would do this to an entire staff right before Christmas,” Lucero said. “If you’re a seasoned business owner, you have to give your employees a heads up.”
Stone Fox’s “sudden” closure was done to ensure “we could pay our entire staff in full and meet our obligations,” the note on the business reads. Owner Cy Oldham could not immediately be reached for comment.
Stone Fox took over the Clark Street storefront that previously housed Pork Shoppe, which closed in February 2018 after a two-and-a-half year run, Eater reported at the time.
The restaurant’s closure announcement has garnered 80 comments on Facebook, with a number of neighbors lamenting the end of another local business.
“It bums me out that good restaurants keep moving into that spot and closing down,” one comment reads.
To donate to the GoFundMe benefiting Stone Fox’s staff, click here.
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