The Crave Restaurant & Lounge in downtown Madison served its final round of martinis last weekend after poor sales and a dwindling economy forced the trendy establishment to close its doors after nearly six years of business.
Owner Eric Fleming said the decision to close the restaurant and bar, at 201 W. Gorham St., came after a 50 percent decrease in sales over the last three months. Fleming, who owns the Orpheum and three other buildings on State Street, sold the building housing Crave in September 2008 and said he cannot afford to renew the lease with such sluggish profits.
One factor Fleming attributes to the slump in sales is the economy. Although Crave's menu includes many upscale items, he said customers have become increasingly stingy with the amount of money they are willing to spend.
""Instead of ordering the more expensive meals, people are coming in and getting burgers and fries,"" Fleming said.
Fleming said the closing is purely a result of business hardships and is not related to the current homicide investigation involving a Crave patron and employee.
""It has absolutely nothing to do with that,"" Fleming said of the Dec. 7, 2008 incident in which patron Eduardo Cademartori sustained a fatal blow to the head after leaving the bar. Crave employee Ross Spang, 22, and two other men are facing felony murder charges in the death.
Following the incident, the city's Alcohol License Review Committee did not revoke Crave's liquor license, but opted to hold an ALERT—Alcohol License Emergency Response Team—meeting in January to discuss business practices.
According to Madison Alcohol Policy Coordinator Katherine Plominski, Crave management agreed to follow the ALRC's recommendations, including tavern safety training for late-night staff, cooperation with police and promoting and maintaining their status as a restaurant.
Fleming plans to do just that by keeping Crave's liquor license and reopening at a more profitable location. At a site just off State Street, he said, it can be difficult to attract people beyond the popular neighboring stretch of restaurants, bars and shops.
Fleming is looking to buy another building on State Street and reopen Crave by this fall. Until then, he will relocate Crave's live music and DJ to play at the Orpheum, and some employees from the bar, wait and kitchen staff will be able to hold onto their jobs.
""The majority of my employees are going to come with me to other establishments,"" Fleming said. ""Not all of them will get to move, but the full-time employees that I have will all have secure jobs.""
Madison's Central Business Improvement District Executive Director Mary Carbine said Crave is not the only downtown business feeling the effects of the economy. Several high-end restaurants are offering price-fixed menus to adapt to customers' budgets, but Carbine said using such tactics doesn't guarantee success.
Despite the dismal economy and its impact on local establishments, Carbine remains confident in the ability of the city's businesses to persevere through the tough times.
""Overall I think we're much more resilient than other parts of the country in terms of Madison's economic situation and the viability of our downtown businesses,"" she said.
