ITHACA, N.Y.—Waffle Frolic, a breakfast staple on the Ithaca Commons for more than a decade, announced Sept. 17 on Instagram that it will be closing its doors Oct. 15, 2022.
“There sometimes comes a time in life where there is a fork in the road. Big decisions can reap big reward or big risk, but you have to do what is right for you & for the people you love,” the post says. “[…] It is time for us to take that other fork in the road & move on to our next adventure.”
Owners Dmitry and Brittany Serebryany said that “It’s a bittersweet situation for us of course, the business has been so rewarding on so many levels, but it’s been a very trying time for the restaurant industry for the past couple of years. We’ve dealt with a lot of obstacles.”
The rising costs of goods, including food and packaging that has substantially increased for the business, contributed to the decision. Not to mention the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought plenty of businesses at least to the brink of closing. Brittany said that it’s time for the family to take time off, which was part of the decision to “move on from the restaurant industry.”
While there was some consideration of selling the business rather than closing, there would have been a waiting period for a buyer to come along, and the Serebryanys felt that it was in their family’s best interest to close and move forward.
Dmitry said that the struggle of parking availability downtown (which has always been an issue), and that the timing of the pandemic plus rising costs were all contributing issues that led to the decision to close the restaurant.
“We’ve basically had to make this really tough decision, and it weighs really heavily on our hearts, because we understand many people are going to be upset about it — and, you know, we don’t know ultimately what the decision is going to be long-term for Waffle Frolic,” he said.
The post also notes that Frolic merchandise, as well as the gluten-free waffle mix and maple hot sauce will be available for purchase until the store closes.
For the remaining weeks leading up to Oct. 15, Waffle Frolic will be open 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.