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119 Chops restaurant closing its doors June 27Jun 11, 2009 (The Union-Recorder - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A Milledgeville restaurant is closing its doors to customers for the final time June 27 after first opening them more than five years ago. The restaurant, 119 Chops, located at 119 N. Wayne St. in downtown Milledgeville, will close to the public June 27, according to 119 Chops owner Richard Toms. "It was purely for economic reasons. We had seen our dinner crowd continue to dwindle over the past months," Toms, who owns the business with his wife Jamie, said in a phone interview Wednesday evening. "We just want to say thank you for those who have been customers to us over the years. Five years is four years longer than most restaurants tend to last." An ad was published in The Union-Recorder June 6 where the Toms thanked the public for five years of making 119 Chops an established restaurant in the downtown Milledgeville area. "We have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the community and have made wonderful friends here ... This has been a very difficult decision for us to make, and we appreciate everyone who has been supportive to us through the process," the statement read in part. A similar statement with newly-changed hours of operation was posted outside the restaurant's front door last week. "I think what brought the customers in was good food, good service and the ambiance of the building," Will Jarriel, who recently left Chops after five years of serving as the restaurant's general manager, said. The story of 119 Chops, which also has a Statesboro location, is provided on the restaurant's official Web site, 119chops.com. "After 18 months of designing, building out and borrowing money, the project was completed and 119 Chops of Milledgeville opened to the public in late March 2004. A local resident, Will [Jarriel] knew many people in the Milledgeville community and immediately drew a crowd. Chef Graham's cuisine was an immediate success, and the restaurant's opening went well. The 'old world' motif of the 1800s wood and brick made for a beautiful atmosphere," the site states. Property owner Trey Britt, who also owns other properties in downtown Milledgeville, was reached for comment by phone Wednesday afternoon. "It's a great business, and he is one of the best tenants I've ever had, but with today's times, that kind of restaurant is tough," Britt said. "He [Toms] had talked to me about it closing on and off, and told me about it about 10 days ago." Rumors of a sports bar being established in the location once 119 Chops closes remained unconfirmed as of press time. Both Britt and Toms stated it was still too soon to know what would replace the popular downtown restaurant. "He [Toms] has the lease, and the lease is through the rest of the year, with an option to renew for two years," Britt stated. "I believe he's talked to a couple of people about coming in and possibly buying him out, but I don't know anything more than that." When questioned about the future of the 119 Chops site, Toms said he was still unsure of what, if anything, could occupy the building by 2010. "119 Chops is definitely closing June 27. There are a couple of ideas, but nothing is finalized. We've been looking at this for about nine months to try to make it work, but within the last 30 to 45 days it's been obvious that it would not work. Five years ago I thought it would last forever." Jarriel, who is now involved in a marketing capacity with another business, said he felt the Chops property would be successful regardless of what could or would follow the closure. "In my opinion, as far as changing to a sports bar, whatever he [Britt] decides to do will be a good decision," Jarriel said. Chops location in Statesboro will remain unaffected by the local closure, according to Toms. "I would love to reopen it if the economy comes back. I love Milledgeville. Milledgeville is our flagship store. It's like losing a child. You work for five years and put your heart and soul into it," Toms said. "We always seemed to be a place to go where people want to do something special." "My wife and I have come to know a lot of people in Milledgeville, and we are grateful for the five years that we have had. We have had a great opportunity to become a part of this community," he said. As of June 1, 119 Chops has opened its lounge area from 10 p.m. to midnight Tuesday and Wednesday while serving dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. and opening its lounge area from 5 p.m. to closing for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. To see more of The Union-Recorder or to subscribe, go to http://www.unionrecorder.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Union-Recorder, Milledgeville, Ga. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |