COLLEYVILLE, Texas — Phil Tullis and his wife, Deborah, opened The Cajun Market in June 2020.
Sadly, they will close their restaurant in October 2022.
“What's going on is actually, as most people would know, the economy,” Tullis said. “We've had a good run. We made it through the pandemic. We thought we would be able to outrun it.”
Tullis told WFAA business is down 30% compared to the same time last year.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Tullis wrote “the high costs of food and ancillary supplies versus the prices we can charge, coupled with ongoing high fuel costs, supply chain, and ongoing labor issues,” has made it difficult for them to remain open.
For those keeping score, the pandemic and the current economy have two points. The Cajun Market only has one, Tullis wrote.
“Normal styrofoam box, for instance, that we hand you something to-go in: Those things have almost doubled in price because of the supply chain,” Tullis told WFAA. “Fry oil that you use to do catfish, shrimp, oysters, etc: That's almost doubled in price.”
We first told you about The Cajun Market in February 2021 when they donated hot meals to Ellery Arbor Memory Care when the facility had no power, heat, or hot water.
“We just come from a culture that when there's a need, you jump in. No questions asked,” Tullis said. “Just go get it done.”
Saturday will be the restaurant's last day of service.
"The food is always good and everybody's always friendly," Andi Ledbetter, who's a regular at The Cajun Market, said. "And I'm gonna [sic] start crying again, because I’m gonna miss them real bad."
“If you have a dream, don't be afraid to chase it. Go for it. Sometimes you're going to win. Sometimes you're going to lose,” Tullis said. “There are things -- because of (our) finance background -- that Debbie and I can control, but we can't control the external. We can't control what's happening out in the economy itself.”
"We were talking just a little bit ago about just grocery bills, like how high everything is," customer Jessica Stier said. "I would pay like so much more money for this food (at The Cajun Market) than what they're asking for. And that's just really sad that that's happening to them."
Tullis has applied for grants, but unfortunately, the money won’t arrive in time to stay open right now, he said.
There is hope of reopening in the future.
Now, Tullis is encouraging North Texans to continue to support the small business community.
“We want to be transparent. We want people to know the struggles we've been through because if we all help one another, we all succeed,” Tullis said. “That's the bottom line.”