A beloved Asheville Pizzaria is set to close next month. Sadly, Grata Pizza recently announced the news on their Instagram account which was accompanied by a picture of a sad face on a pizza. In the lengthy post, they thanked the Asheville community for their support over the past 3.5 years and claimed that “a drastic decline in sales over the past few months” was the main reason for their closure.

They also claimed to be having a “Grand Closing” Party on July 9th featuring “everything must go” prices!” which will probably be a mixture of happy and sad emotions combined.

Understandably, the Asheville residents were upset with this – but also spoke highly about the pizzeria, with many claiming that it was their favorite place for pizza and beers. One local named Frances Christen commented, “This breaks my heart. Y’all are the best. It’s been a pleasure being a patron and feeling like my opinions and suggestions were heard. Love y’all, love the pizza, and I wish you the best in your future!”

Over the years, Asheville has lost a number of locally-owned venues, and this seems to be the latest in a sad tale. What’s worse is that even the ingredients were locally sourced and it was clearly a labor of love. Nonetheless, this the harsh reality of running a business – and sometimes things just aren’t meant to be.