Last week it was Driftwood Cask & Barrel that announced its closure after two years of operation. This week, Magpie Café is the latest to deal a blow to Third Street’s entertainment district.
Owners James and Lina Jacobs made the announcement on Facebook Tuesday morning, June 11, saying that Friday, June 14, will be the restaurant’s last day downtown. Magpie’s Perkins Road and Pointe Marie locations will continue operations.
“In 2015, expansion to a second cafe location seemed to be the right path for Magpie,” they said in the Facebook post. “We loved the experience and have no regrets. We are proud of the restaurant space we built, teams we assembled, and friends we made. Now in 2019, consolidation is the best way to provide the best experience to our team and our customers.”
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The Jacobs’ brought forward-thinking style and magazine-worthy design to the large Commerce Building space, which we wrote about in our “First Look” before it opened in 2016. But despite the trendy vibes, the restaurant’s craft cocktails and dinnertime food menu couldn’t seem to attract an after-work crowd. Most of its traffic seemed to be at breakfast or lunch, leading the restaurant to quit dinner service last spring. Operating hours seemed to dwindle from there.
As for Driftwood Cask & Barrel, expanding its food offerings and operating hours a year ago in a bid to boost business didn’t seem to work, either.
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Another bar is already slated to move into the space, Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer told Daily Report. He declined to name the business but says specifics will be announced soon.
Driftwood and Magpie’s demise follow on the closure of other Third Street businesses in the past year, including John Delgado’s 1913 nightclub and Huey’s Bar, as well as Lava Cantina Downtown and Somos Bandidos, which was supposed to be filled by a grilled cheese shop that’s now stalling its plans to move into the space. Last fall, Register Bar took over the former Roux House building after restaurateur Ian Vaughn nixed plans to open Repeal 33 gastropub there.