Roughly 10 months after announcing it would stay open, the owners of Spanish Town market and cafe Belli have announced it will close at the end of October.
Belli launched in the summer of 2023 in the historic former home of Capitol Grocery, which originally opened its doors in 1914 and has changed ownership several times in the last decade.
After roughly six months operating as Belli, the owners announced on Instagram that there were “too many obstacles” for the concept to thrive in Spanish Town and that they were closing the business. One of those obstacles was likely the controversy surrounding Belli’s pursuit of a liquor license. Less than a week later, however, the owners reversed their decision after an outpouring of neighborhood support.
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“In the end, our plan for this location isn’t working like we thought it would,” reads a video announcing the Oct. 31 closure.
The business plans to celebrate the 110th birthday of the location on Saturday and hold a flash sale at the end of the month to sell remaining inventory and fixtures.
This story originally appeared in an Oct. 11 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.