- A pizza place on Padre Island called Brooklyn Pie Company suddenly closed its doors this week.
- Staff from Brooklyn Pie Company did not announce why they are closing, but neighbors say they are not surprised that a small business is suddenly closing.
- Island businesses rely on the busy summer tourist season to make most of their profits.
- Padre Island Business Association encourages people to visit the island and shop small and support local.
Brooklyn Pie Company, a pizza place on Padre Island for about 10 years, suddenly closed its doors for good this week. Neighbors said they are sad to see Brooklyn Pie Company close down, but they are not surprised because island small businesses need to rely on tourist dollars to survive.
“We’re very much a tourist destination, especially between Memorial Day and Labor Day. So you know, a lot of the restaurants and retail around here rely on the locals, not only those who live here but hopefully those who come from the rest of Corpus Christi," Stan Hulse, the Executive Director for Padre Island Business Association, said.
Brooklyn Pie Company did not announce why it is closing, but Hulse believes it could be due to inflation.
“While I don’t know the particulars of why that specific business is closing, I can speak to the general environment here for restaurants, like anywhere else, they’re struggling," Hulse said. “The rising costs that we’ve all been experiencing in groceries, in food, and in cooking oils and the things that they cook on their menus have definitely been a struggle for many of the restaurants I’ve been speaking to."
It is not uncommon for islanders to see local businesses pop up and close down frequently.
“There have been a few that have sold, and there have been a couple that have closed, but they tell me it's due to extenuating circumstances," Hulse said.
The members of the Padre Island Business Association remind people from across the Coastal Bend that the island is almost entirely made up of locally owned businesses and they appreciate support from tourists, but also from locals.
“There is 300 thousand of you across that bridge. We’re your island, Corpus Christi; come on out to the island. We have plenty of restaurants that you may or may not have tried yet. We have plenty of stores, plenty of businesses," Hulse said.
While Brooklyn Pie Company may be closing its doors, some new businesses, such as Hometown Seafood Company and Champs Meat Market, have recently opened on the island.
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