Story by Ashley Traylor, Staff writer
After moving downtown earlier this year, Mary’s Bistro has closed its doors.
After five months of business in downtown Murray, Mary’s Bistro, formerly Mary’s Kitchen, closed its doors Nov. 1.
“There is no income,” said owner Mary Black. “I went broke. When you don’t have customers and you have to pay chefs and servers you go into a big fat hole. I could not maintain that hole.”
Black said she knew for weeks that she was going to close the restaurant. For the last month and a half, she had her employees searching for jobs in hopes they would secure employment before the doors closed.
She said the overall overhead of the building was expensive and the restaurant was not receiving enough business to turn profit.
“The labor was just eating me up,” Black said. “The utilities were eating me up. The rent was large there. It required [the restaurant] to be busy and it just wasn’t busy.”
Mary’s Bistro originally opened in April 2009 as Mary’s Kitchen on the North side of Murray before moving downtown in June 2015.
“If I stayed on the north of end of town, I think we would have stayed in business,” she said. “I didn’t have a choice though. The landlord sold the building.”
A post announcing the closure on the restaurant’s Facebook page stated, “Customers, family, and friends, after 6 and a half years, Mary’s Bistro (formerly Mary’s Kitchen) has decided to close its doors. We appreciate all the business our loyal customers have shown us over the years and would like to thank you all for all of your love and support.”
Fans of Mary’s Bistro meals may be encouraged to hear the former manager of Mary’s Bistro, Candy Feagin, is considering opening a food truck. Black said she is giving Feagin the recipes so she will have access to everything the restaurant did, but she is not for sure if this is where the future of Mary’s Bistro is heading.
Black said if the Feagin opens a food truck, she hopes it will attract the college student community.
“If she opens a food truck, then I will help her,” Black said. “I love the college students. I love them and always have. That is where my heart is. It is not with the restaurant. I only started the restaurant for the college students.”