Beloved restaurant and Applebee’s rival closes after 20 years thanks to high rents – diners mourn the end of ‘best item’

Locals are devastated at the closure of a legendary restaurant.

For 20 years, guests flocked to the Fuel and Fuddle in Pittsburgh’s Oakland area.

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Unfortunately, those days are over.

Owner Brandon Smith announced She attributed the closure on Instagram to rent and other rising costs.

“Our lease has expired and the rent and pretty much everything else has become too much for us,” he wrote.

Brandon reportedly said he was ready to move on and spend more time with his family Pittsburgh’s Action News 4

The tentative final day is May 26th, but that depends on having enough staff.

Guests are disappointed with the closure as many have been visiting the restaurant for years.

Adam Fitch told the news outlet he was depressed about the situation.

“I’m a big fan of the Cajun Rosy, which is the best item on the menu, so I called my buddy and figured we’d stop by and get something to eat before this place closes,” he said.

In the Instagram post announcing the closure, many people shared their fondest memories of the restaurant.

“I’m pretty sure my friends got fed up with me asking to go to Fuel in college. My favorite spot every time,” one person wrote.

Another said: “This place and the people I met here changed my life forever. I will always be grateful for that.”

More degrees to come

This is just one of many restaurants across the country that are closing.

Burger King closed 26 stores in the last month alone, part of a larger plan to close 400 stores by the end of this year.

The latest string of closures is mostly affecting the Detroit area and has been attributed to “unforeseen business circumstances”.

Joshua Kobza of Restaurant Brands International, Burger King’s parent company, said mass closures were planned to protect the brand from further damage.

Stores that cannot meet their sales targets will have to close in the coming months.

Meanwhile, a rival from Texas Road Houe is closing its Virginia operations for good.

A legendary New York delicatessen has also closed.