Several local restaurants have been closed for business in recent weeks, with some locations now leased to new tenants.

The Wilmington Tea Room, which operated on the Riverfront at 224 S. Water St. since 2006, closed its doors in December. Attempts to reach the most current owner, Wendi Fayad, were unsuccessful. Alexis Wall, a previous owner who still maintained the Tea Room Facebook page, posted a message to customers in early January stating that the restaurant had closed for good but she had not personally spoken with Fayad.

The space has now been leased to Tim and Rebecca Bush, owners of River to Sea Gallery and Custom Framing, previously located in Chandler’s Wharf. According to Tim Bush, the couple signed a long-term lease for the property and will celebrate their grand opening Feb 14, which is also the gallery’s sixth anniversary.

Velvet Freeze, located at 10 N. Front St., is soon to be replaced by GEMS4U, a jewelry store previously located across the street at 21 N. Front St. Owner Mary Sedcieski signed a five-year lease for the space and will utilize it as a studio, storefront, classroom for jewelry-making parties, and an Artisan’s Market where other artists can display and sell their work, other than jewelry, on the weekends. Velvet Freeze owner Karel Blaas could not be reached for comment.

Fuzzy Peach’s downtown location at 310 N. Front St. has closed and a "For Lease" sign has been posted. Calls to U-Swirl Inc., Fuzzy Peach’s franchise headquarters, were not returned and leasing agents from Maus Warwick Matthews and Co. were unable to comment on the closure.

Soho, a bakery and deli that opened at 431 Eastwood Road in 2013, was closed as of Jan. 30. The restaurant's roof and roadside signs were down, and a moving truck was parked next to the building with stacked furniture still inside. Calls to owner Mac Abdallah, who also owns a bakery in Morrisville, North Carolina, were not returned.

Port City Craft House, which opened at 29 Van Campen Blvd. this past fall, has been closed during normal business hours in recent weeks. Last Friday afternoon the doors to Suite 109 were locked and the dining room was dark, but furniture still appeared to be in place. Phone calls and emails to owners Brian and Diana Betts have not been returned. The 7,000-square-foot space was previously occupied by Buck Wild BBQ Saloon and Buffalo Wild Wings.

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