BEAUMONT, Texas — Another Beaumont business is shutting down. The owner of Bocca Felice on Calder says a lack of business has forced him to close his doors.
However, there is a silver lining.
Antoine Ware, is the owner and chef at Bocca Felice, and he wanted to create a spot where blue collar workers could enjoy an upscale experience.
But by the summer he says he was only seeing about three customers a night.
"It's heartbreaking. I talked a year ago when we first talked about this we wanted this to be a success. If I knew then what I know now I would have never changed it from New York Pizza and Pasta," said Ware.
What should have been a bustling Afternoon rush at Bocca Felice, is instead an empty restaurant.
Standing in the middle of it all is Ware, reminiscing on how things got to this point.
"I think we hit the summer time just like everyone else. Like a slow period and we just never bounced back," said Ware.
12News spoke to Ware last April, just four months into the restaurants reopen under a new name.
"My family and I poured our life savings this. This is it," said Ware.
Back in April, they were welcoming around 40-50 customers a night, sadly that is no longer the case.
"You could pitch a rock and hit nobody on some nights," said Ware.
Then just when it seemed like things couldn't get worse, 12News cameras were there once again when an accused drunk driver plowed through the side of the restaurant in June.
The car crashed into this wall, almost into the next dinning room," said Ware.
He says between damages and having to throw food away, there was about $30,000 lost. However, in less than a week the restaurant was back open.
"We were limited menu, it just wasn't enough to keep the doors open," said Ware.
A month later, ware decided to bring back a familiar favorite.
"There is still life here but just not as Bocca Felice, as New York Pizza and Pasta. It's more familiar, they had a lot of great dishes on their menu before I changed it, and we're going to bring back those dishes," Ware said.
Ware says that he is grateful for the outpouring of support online, now he's hoping the community will show up to keep the restaurant going.
"Don't say you're going to go online and don't go. Just go out and visits that restaurant and have dinner. We're not the only ones that's facing adversity," said Ware.
Ware says they plan to re-open as New York Pizza and Pasta in the fall. Until then he wants to offer a chef's experience, where guests make a reservation and enjoy a four-course meal.
Anyone interested in this experience can check out Bocca Felice's Facebook page.
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