Heirloom Café & Fresh Market to permanently close after more than a decade in business

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
Customers enjoy lunch at Heirloom Café on the restaurant's 10 year anniversary in Athens, Ga., on Thursday, June 17, 2021.
Customers enjoy lunch at Heirloom Café on the restaurant's 10 year anniversary in Athens, Ga., on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

More than a year after celebrating a decade in business, Heirloom Café & Fresh Market announced Friday that their restaurant at 815 N. Chase St. will permanently close on Dec. 18.

The news came via the Boulevard area establishment's official social media accounts.

"It has come time to move on to a new chapter in our lives," read the Instagram post. "We feel that it is time for us to focus on spending quality time with our family, who have been so supportive and understanding over the last twelve years."

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Chef Jessica Rothaker partnered with her father, Travis Burch, to open Heirloom Café in the historic Athens neighborhood in 2011. Though the restaurant expanded its outdoor seating in order to continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues and rising costs weren't cited as reasons for the closure.

According to the social media announcement, the personal sacrifices of owning and running a small business were what played into Rothaker's and Burch's decision. The irony of serving meals to other families while missing "weekends, day trips, even first steps" with their own was mentioned in the heartfelt statement.

Heirloom Café co-owners chef Jessica Rothacker and her father Travis Burch pose for a photo on the restaurant's 10 year anniversary in Athens, Ga., on Thursday, June 17, 2021.
Heirloom Café co-owners chef Jessica Rothacker and her father Travis Burch pose for a photo on the restaurant's 10 year anniversary in Athens, Ga., on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

Earlier this month, Heirloom Cafe was host to the band Bichos Vivos during Historic Athens Porchfest, an event that drew record numbers of musicians and attendees. Rothacker was one of three local chefs chosen to prepare oyster dishes for a Peat & Pearls Supper Club, a national series that focused on restaurateurs with a special connection to their communities.

"I just appreciate how much everyone has shown us support through ups and downs," Rothacker told the Banner-Herald in 2021. "I just appreciate all the kinds words and actions that people have."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Heirloom Café & Fresh Market in Athens to close after decade