By Mindy Lucas

In an industry that’s been plagued by closures due to COVID-19, two local eateries recently announced they have had to close their doors for good.

Hank’s Lowcountry Café, which opened a brick-and-mortar location in the Beaufort Town Center earlier this year after running a successful venture at area farmer’s markets, announced it would be closing due to the affects of the pandemic.

In an email to The Island News, owner Hank Yaden confirmed that when COVID numbers began climbing, their sales slowed so much he was forced to close.

Yaden said he still plans to be at the Port Royal Farmer’s Market “every Saturday” and also at Honey Horn Plantation on Hilton Head on Tuesdays and at the Bluffton Farmer’s Market on Thursdays.

In addition, Mezes Mediterranean Grill, which opened in 2019, also announced recently it was closing.

In October, the restaurant said it was “taking a COVID pause” and would only be closed temporarily, but in a Facebook post on Dec. 15, announced that after “much consideration” they had made the “difficult decision” to permanently close.

“We want to sincerely thank our amazing Mezes team members, our valued customers and our community for their love and support. You will all be missed but rest assured we are still here and part of this amazing town we have called home for 26 years,” the post went on to say.

A message sent to the restaurant about whether the decision to close permanently was COVID related, went unanswered.