JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A popular barbecue restaurant in Jacksonville is closing on Friday after more than three decades.
It’s the last week for Willard’s Bar-B-Q Junction, and the owners tell News4JAX it’s due to struggles brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Like everyone else, it really took its toll,” said owner James Willard.
After 31 years of serving barbecue staples like brisket, Willard says he’s decided to close the restaurant. But it’s not for a lack of trying.
“We’re closing now mainly because of the scarce product, the price increase in product and labor. Everything’s going up,” Willard said.
The owner said he doesn’t like letting his customers down, and unfortunately, it’s happened quite a bit recently.
According to a report from Restaurant Business Online, industry sales declined for the third time in four months in January. For Willard, sales have been good, but he’s having trouble keeping up with the demand and hiring enough workers.
“Having to tell customers we’re out of brisket, we’re out of hamburgers all the time, it’s not the way it’s supposed to be,” Willard said.
He wrote on Facebook:
In Avondale, Joe Murphy, one of the owners of Barrique in Avondale, said the pandemic has hit his restaurant hard, too, and he’s also had issues with staffing.
“You have to think of ways to structure their hours,” he explained. “We’ve actually become very flexible.”
Murphy said he’s been dealing with supply shortages as well.
“We’re trying our best,” he said. “It’s not like we’re eliminating the stuff that’s here. It’s just impossible for us to get the quantities we want. Sometimes they’ll send us an order and it’s half of what we ordered”
Inflation also remains a problem for local businesses.
According to federal data, menu prices at restaurants and bars are up more than 7% in the past year.
Willard says he’ll make the last day the restaurant is open very special.
“I’m going to come in and slice the last meal I sliced — the first meal in 1991,” Willard said.
Willard also says he’s going to help his employees find work after this restaurant shuts down.