Following a monthlong closure because of Hurricane Florence, Staci Murray, owner of Alaia Juice Bar & Bistro, has decided to close for good.

While evacuated to her native Ohio, Murray said she discovered that her father was in poor health. He had recently relocated back to Ohio from Carolina Beach, and Murray said she was shocked to find him in a state of decline. 

Murray said she new almost immediately that she wanted to be near her father and help care for him, even if it meant closing the restaurant.

“In some ways it was difficult to let the restaurant go, but ultimately family is what’s most important,” Murray said. 

Murray said she’s extremely grateful to Kelly McAndrew, her general manager, who held down the fort while she was away and assisted with cleanup after the storm. While the juice bar did not suffer any structural damage, there was a huge loss of perishable inventory. Murray and her husband took temporary jobs while evacuated so they could continue to pay their employees throughout the initial closure. 

Murray said she had hoped that a potential buyer would take over the juice bar, keeping with her concept, but said that despite three offers, there were elements that prevented the sale.

“We’ve taken a loss but feel positive that it’s all in our best interest,” Murray said. “This is absolutely the right decision for us. We can always open another restaurant but we won’t always have this time with our family.”

Murray said it is her hope to reopen Alaia in the Cleveland area when the timing is right.

“We’re also so grateful to the people of the island who were so receptive to our concept,” Murray said. “We received so much positive feedback from them and want to thank them for their support.”

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