A Quick Update…

OK, I’ve been out of town for a week, and as usual, the food news didn’t stop while I was away. I’m including a list below of the latest happenings to help keep everyone informed. More to come!

• After 40 years, Larson’s Big Star will soon become CashSaver Cost Plus Food Outlet (the owners will remain the same)
• Owner Jason Plunk closed his bar, Taylor’s Pub, this past week
• According to rumors, a Krystal Burger may be opening in the new Exxon station going up on Hwy 6
• The third location of Lusa Pastry Cafe, located in the Belk shopping center, is scheduled to open on January 22
• The 10th Annual Empty Bowls Pantry fundraiser is gearing up for February 7 (more details to come).

208 South Lamar Closes

A tip on Twitter earlier today pointed me to the door of 208 South Lamar where I found a sign confirming that the restaurant, which opened in 2002, has closed.

Details about the reason for the closure have not surfaced as of yet, but the restaurant is slated to reopen as a restaurant named La Paz at the end of February. La Paz has locations (all independently owned) in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida.

It has not been confirmed if 208’s current owners, Jerry and Jean Jordan, will be running the new restaurant.

According to the sign posted, all previously purchased 208 gift certificates will be honored at La Paz.

UPDATE 1/2/13:

The Oxford Eagle reported on 208’s closure today, with some updated info from the owners. For the full story, pick up today’s edition of the Eagle.

According to owner Jerry Jordan, “We planned to close the whole week of Christmas anyway and then the first part of the week some people that had expressed interest in leasing the restaurant gave me an offer that I decided to take.” The Eagle reports that Jordan serves as president of the Oxford Restaurant Association and plans to remain active until the membership decides otherwise. He remains the owner of the 208 building and will lease the space and equipment to La Paz. “I’ll own the building, but I won’t be involved at all with a restaurant business,” Jordan said.

As for reasons for the closure, Jordan told the Oxford Eagle that he had several reasons for leaving the restaurant business. “Fine dining isn’t as popular as it used to be,” Jordan said. “There are other problems. They haven’t moved fast enough to solve parking problems on the Square and I am reducing my activity to be able to have more time off.”

 

Will The Shak Reopen?

Many have been questioning the future of The Shak barbecue restaurant on Thacker Road.

A sign went up a few months back alerting customers that the restaurant would be closed for the summer. The sign remains posted as we near the end of October.

A couple of weeks back, the restaurant’s phone answering machine echoed the sign’s sentiment, saying that the eatery was “closed for the summer”. Today, a recording states that the number is not currently accepting calls.

There have been no official signs of permanent closure, but the doors remain locked.

If you have an update to share, let me know at liz@eatingoxford.com

Checkers Closes

photo credit: Summer Farrell

As many predicted during construction, the Checkers location on the corner of Lamar and University Avenue has closed after just under a year in business. The corporate office has not responded to my email as of yet, but I can only assume that they couldn’t make enough money to cover costs.

***Thank you to all of the EatingOxford.com readers who sent emails, Facebook messages and Tweets about the closure of Checkers (the above photo was sent to me by Summer Farrell). It really helps to have additional eyes and ears out on the street in case I miss something. Please keep the tips coming and don’t hesitate to contact me at liz@eatingoxford.com if there’s something you’d like to suggest for the blog!

 

The Monkey’s Back Closes

Just shy of its one-year anniversary, The Monkey’s Back at 2028 University Avenue, a restaurant that paid homage to the former Brass Monkey restaurant that burned down in September 2010, has closed. Sources say that the owner of the building decided to sell the property.

No further information is currently available.

Locker Room Closes

After less than six months, it appears that Oxford’s Locker Room Sports Bar & Grill has closed. There has been no activity at the restaurant for more than a week and all phone numbers associated with the restaurant have been disconnected.

If anyone has any details about the closure, you’re invited to comment here or contact me at liz@eatingoxford.com.

Bangkok Thai Closes

A little more than a month ago, the Bangkok Thai restaurant located at Oxford’s Days Inn hung up its pans and closed its doors. Information about its closure wasn’t readily available, and there’s been no word of a restaurant moving into its location.

Jackson Avenue Burger King Closes

If you’ve driven down West Jackson Avenue lately and wondered why the parking lot and drive through have been empty at the Burger King, it’s because the restaurant closed on December 23 according to a news brief in The Oxford Eagle. There are no plans to reopen.

According to The Oxford Eagle, “The owner, Marbile Investment Corp., intends to keep its other Burger King on University Avenue open. The Burger King on West Jackson ‘was low performing, which is an easy euphemism for substantially less sales volume,’ said J.J. McNelis, president of the real estate division of Marbile Investment. Those in a management position were offered positions at other Burger Kings, but McNelis said he’s not sure what happened with the other employees. The company acquired the West Jackson property in 1998 from an existing operator and said it was originally opened in the 1980s. The University Avenue location was also acquired in 1998 from an old Hardee’s. The company owns 43 Burger Kings in the region, with 40 in the Memphis market.”

Honest Abe’s Donuts Closes

It appears that frozen custard won out over donuts last week when Honest Abe’s Donuts closed its doors and Bop’s Frozen Custard chose to remain in its current spot to continue serving patrons in search of sweets. The two businesses were sharing a building at 1412 West Jackson Avenue, which will now be solely operated by Bop’s…sans donuts.

 

B’s Bar-B-Q Jackson Ave. Location Closes

B’s Bar-B-Q has been in business for more than 13 years. Unfortunately, four months after opening a second location on Jackson Avenue, the new location closed and a For Rent sign was posted.

The original location, inside the Skymart on College Hill, is still open and serving up ribs, brisket, pulled pork, fish, chicken tenders, breakfast and more.