Owners of The Local have decided to permanently close the Highway 54 restaurant. After announcing a temporary closure in July, Trevor Tong commented on the Owensboro Food Critic Facebook page that “an outpouring of unwarranted harassing/hateful comments and messages directed at our family” contributed to their desire to close. The owners had initially planned to improve several aspects of The Local during its temporary closure.
Negative responses and reviews The Local received on social media played a hand in the decision to close as well. Tong said it would be difficult for the restaurant to bounce back from the negative publicity it received via social media. They worried that too many people had been swayed by what others had written before trying The Local themselves.
Tong said he appreciates negative customer reviews as long as they involve some constructive criticism that could potentially help the restaurant. Tong apologized to customers for any negative experiences they had at The Local, saying he hoped customers would decide to give their other restaurants a chance. Travis Tong and Trevor Tong also own City Walk of Owensboro, located at 222 Allen Street in downtown Owensboro. So far, City Walk has earned a perfect 5-star rating from 55 reviews on the company’s Facebook page.
Brickhouse Pizza’s business was absorbed by The Local a few months ago and, until further notice, will be closing as well.
Owners of The Local could not be reached for comment.
