After just a year in business, The Fountain on 66 diner has closed.
Owner Tom Hart announced the restaurant’s closing in a Facebook post.
“After many sleepless nights and restless days I have made the tough decision to close the Fountain on 66,” Hart said in the post on Monday. Hart opened The Fountain, located at 1101 S. Ninth St., last summer.
No one answered the phone at The Fountain on Tuesday morning, and the restaurant was not open for lunch.
Hart said in the post that he needed to focus his resources on his own wellbeing and on the operation of The Stadium, the smokehouse bar and grill he owns on Peoria Road. He said he hoped he could find someone to take over The Fountain location and “give it the love and life it deserves.”
The South Ninth Street location has a long history. Sonrise Donuts opened there in 1947 and served customers from the small brick building for more than four decades, until owner Don Greenslade died in 1998.
Since then, it has housed various other restaurants, including another doughnut shop and several Mexican places. In 2008, Stephanie Weber reopened it as The Route 66 Sonrise Donut Coffee Bar and Diner, trying to recreate the original ambiance. But none of the other restaurants lasted long, and the building was often vacant for long periods of time.
I just purchased gift certificates from real deals and got them in the mail yesterday. You would have thought they would have known this 2 weeks ago when they offered the deal.
Tom said they will be honored at The Stadium.
I waited tables at The Fountain this summer, and I really enjoyed working there.
The building definitely needs a lot of work, and I know people noticed that.
The average meal was around $15 per person, so it wasn’t overpriced by any means. Most days there were only two servers working, and the restaurant only seated about 30 people. Even on a good day, bringing in around $1,000 just wasn’t enough to keep everything stocked, make repairs, and cover all the other expenses. Running out of menu items frustrated customers, but it wasn’t because anyone wasn’t trying.
As a former small business owner, I understand how hard it is to keep a business afloat when costs keep going up. Everyone there worked hard and cared about the restaurant. I just wish there had been more notice before it closed.
The food was honestly one of the best parts. The chefs were talented, and the menu was really good. It’s sad to see a place with so much potential close because of today’s economy.
I honestly wish I had the money to keep it going myself. I really enjoyed my time there, and I’m grateful I got to work with such a great group of people.
Wishing everyone the best moving forward.