A tapas bar in Cary is closing after three years. Here’s what we know.

After three years, an admired tapas bar on Cary Parkway is closing this week.

The owners of Catalan Tapas Bar announced Monday on Facebook they plan to serve food until “what we have is gone.”

“It is with a heavy heart that we have made the difficult decision to close Catalan,” the post read. “We will be selling bottles of wine, bottles of beer, and filling growlers and crowlers to go.”

The family and woman-owned bar was opened in December 2020 by Jennifer Cramer.

Her father, Eli, died from COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic and left her with a small inheritance that she used to open the bar.

Cramer’s sister, Heather, designed the business, and for three years, family and friends have cooked and served food, curated menus and greeted customers.

Cramer said they ran the tapas bar with “love and care,” and instead of watching the business die, chose to close it.

“There are so many factors that have led to this decision, but finance and staffing are two main ones,” Cramer said in an email. “This restaurant was a dream from the beginning and unfortunately, sometimes, dreams don’t come true.”

Over the past three years, Catalan has hosted Taco Tuesday nights, live jazz bands, and specials on food and drinks on Fridays. The bar served a variety of food, from salads, shrimp and seafood, mac and cheese, vegan options, as well as desserts, wine, craft beer, cocktails and mocktails.

As “a safe space for all humans,” Catalan would also host drag shows and drag queen story times and raised money for organizations like the LGBT Center of Raleigh, Friends of Wake County Animal Center, the SBW Angel Tree Program, and other animal rescue organizations. The tapas bar also received food and dining awards.

“Last year, when business was doing well, we were able to support our local LGBT Center with donations raised at events totaling $5,000,” Cramer said. “We have been a safe space for all and have been a visible and vocal supporter of our LGBT community.”

Customers can visit Catalan until Aug. 20, the last day the restaurant will be open.

‘Raise a glass to our memory’

Opening at the end of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cramer believed things would turn around for small businesses, not expecting the crisis to stretch beyond a year.

Catalan Tapas Bar did not qualify for federal relief because the team did not have prior businesses or finances from 2019 to show any losses from the pandemic, Cramer said.

“We made the huge mistake of taking out merchant cash advances, which are basically loan sharks; high-interest unsecured loans paid back in micro amounts daily over a short loan term,” she said. “I was not business savvy enough to know that these are a bad idea and are the kiss of death for many restaurants.”

According to Forbes, merchant cash advances are not regulated and often carry higher interest than a traditional bank loan. They can often create a difficult cycle of debt for small businesses.

A native of New York, Cramer worked in the hospitality industry for 25 years before opening Catalan and when the pandemic hit, the industry shifted with the high costs of goods and labor. She said a myriad of systemic changes, like raised interest rates and dwindling savings accounts for most people, contributed to sales taking a hit at Catalan.

She said negative reviews online also have a lasting effect on small businesses.

“Nobody is perfect. ... People don’t realize the power they wield with their keyboards, or they simply don’t care. They just want to be heard and feel like they were able to get back at the place that ruined their steak dinner,” Cramer said.

Employees at Catalan were paid above minimum wage. However, Cramer said there were several challenges in keeping the restaurant fully staffed, from difficult patrons to personal issues and the emotional drain of the service industry.

After Cramer posted the news of the bar’s closure on Facebook, there was an outpouring of support from people who visited the bar. Some thanked Catalan for its service, community, and others remembered tie bar for its dedicated spirit and delicious food.

Cramer said she was thankful to her staff, who rode the storm with her. She encourages patrons to support small businesses and “tip your server, over-tip if you can afford to. ... Smile more, be kind to each other. It seems cliche but it really is important.”

“We hope to see everyone come out for one last cocktail and raise a glass to our memory,” Cramer said.

Catalan will be open during the day to sell its stock of beer and wine. The hours will be posted on the bar’s Facebook page at facebook.com/catalantapasbar.

No coupons, discounts, Groupons, or Flavor vouchers will be honored this week