When Craig and Kait Mariutto opened Shoefly Public House in the fall of 2013, the local watering hole became an instant favorite as, in Craig’s words, something the neighborhood was lacking – “a place for good simple pub food in a relaxed setting.” Shoefly was well-received by both for both its Fall Creek Place neighbors and Herron-Morton Place located just across 22nd Street.
But that ended on Nov. 9 when the couple announced via their Facebook page that Shoefly has been “closed for good,” the latest casualty of the pandemic. The restaurant/pub had closed temporarily two days earlier when a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
“When the pandemic happened we made a decision that we would not take on more debt without knowing when business would return to normal levels,” Mariutto said. “As the PPP money ran out, the summer came and you kept our patio full. Now as the weather turns and it is too cold to eat outside and not really safe to eat inside, we feel the best thing to do is close.
“I wish we could have given folks more notice but going through the financials it’s clear that the time has come,” Mariutto said. “We’ll be able to cover payroll as well as take care of our vendors and that will be about it.
“This is a rough business in general and the fact that we made it as long as we did is a credit to our great staff and guests,” he continued, adding that “when things went haywire back in March the game changed. We adapted and were able to keep the balling rolling long enough to get a PPP loan, which helped keep us going as long as we did. In May, we were able to pay off the majority of our loans from opening, which helped reduce our expenses.
“There is no further relief in sight and we don’t want to risk not being able to pay our staff and/or vendors. Again thank you all for helping make Shoefly what it was.”
