Old Town Clovis restaurant to close, citing high costs and business dispute
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Owner Greg Wilson announced The Craft House will close Dec. 20 after nine years.
- High overhead and stalled food-hall plans forced the move that drained revenue.
- Family-run staff of 15 built strong customer bonds; owner will reassess next steps.
The Craft House in Old Town Clovis, known for its pub-style comfort food, is closing its doors after nine years, owner Greg Wilson announced Friday.
In a Facebook post, Wilson, along with wife Marci, thanked the community along with their vendors and employees for their support. The restaurant at 836 Pollasky Ave. in Clovis will serve its last customers on Dec. 20.
“We will probably close a little early that day and hang out for a while with the staff and any customers that want to come by,” Wilson said in an interview.
Wilson said it pains him that the plan to grow the restaurant didn’t work out like he intended.
“I made some decisions that I really thought were going to benefit my wife and I, and I really wanted to do something that would benefit our team, including our daughters,” Wilson said.
Wilson admits that the beginning of the end came shortly after moving out of their much smaller location on Pollasky Avenue near Eighth Street. They moved across the street into a completely renovated building that years ago was the site of Franco’s restaurant.
The new sleek-looking building became the home for The Third Place Global Eatery, a micro-food hall concept that housed two restaurants and a brewery.
But the food hall idea wasn’t catching on, and Wilson was encouraged to move into the building. Although customers raved about The Craft House’s food, the overhead cost of being in a new building was too much.
He also says the relationship between himself and the managers of The Third Place soured.
“They backed out and that was their prerogative, but we didn’t have a lot of money coming into this new building so we got into a situation where six, seven months go by and we are trying to figure out how to pay the rent,” he said.
Wilson has regrets about having to close the restaurant, but he is comforted in knowing he provided people with a great meal in a friendly environment.
Chef Nicole Wilson, Greg’s daughter, said she enjoyed seeing her father greet customers and share stories, even if it was the 10th time they’d heard it.
“I’d look over sometimes and see him at a customers table interacting with them and realize they haven’t even had a chance to touch their food,” she said. “And I’m like: Let them eat.”
Since it launched nearly a decade ago, The Craft House was known for creating what Nicole Wilson calls “upscale barfood.”
“We had all the regular bar food type of dishes, like burgers, chicken sandwiches and wings, but we liked to give it our own spin with different flavor profiles,” said Nicole Wilson, the Wilson’s second-oldest daughter.
Two other Wilson children, Ashley and Kayla, were also part of the staff of 15 employees, who formed a family like bond, Greg Wilson said.
“You know, we’ve been to two or three weddings from just our own staff over the few years,” he said. “There are people who have been with us throughout those nine years.”
As for the future, Wilson said that remains to be seen. He plans to take things one day at a time.
“For now, I am trying to get everything wrapped up and then, you know, move onto the next thing. And I’ll be honest with you, I wake up at two in the morning wondering what that will be. And I don’t know what that is.”
