The Wallflower Diner on Main Street has been serving brunch, lunch and dinner in Mount Pleasant since 2009. It is also home to comedy and art shows, trivia and theme nights. Co-owner Heather Szilagyi announced the impending closing on social media Saturday. “Eric (Nielsen) and I are extremely proud to have kept The Wallflower going through the pandemic. We’ve been working non-stop for a long time. We were really hoping someone could pick up the pieces and keep the legacy going, but everyone is broken.” , He wrote. In May, the restaurant was put up for sale. The listing, which at the time listed a price of $269,000, was also shared on social media. “Ok, someone out there must have a long-lost rich uncle,” the owners wrote at the time. The listing for the restaurant is still active, showing a reduced price of $225,000. Scrolling through the Wallflower Diner’s social media feed, it’s easy to understand some of the pressures that led to the closing. While many other restaurants were able to mitigate capacity limits related to COVID-19 by expanding outdoor spaces, the restaurant was initially not allowed to create a patio. Eventually, a single table was allowed in the front, which the owners called “sadio” in a series of posts calling it “the world’s saddest patio.” They were able to add a few more tables thanks to the support of the neighboring Pulp Fiction bookstore which offers its space on the sidewalk. Another blow to the restaurant seems to have been the Broadway subway building. Located less than a block north of where a station will eventually stand, the restaurant posted about the “seemingly endless construction” and the impact on businesses in the area. Another post, from last December, refers to the end of government subsidies and the possibility that the business will be sold or closed despite the owners’ efforts. “We both worked non-stop during the lockdown, with no days off. Anyone who knows me at all knows that there is probably no other person on the planet who would have worked harder to keep a restaurant alive than I do with my Health,” wrote Szilagyi. Wallflower’s last day will be July 12, which Szilagyi said is also her birthday. “All past and present staff and regulars are welcome to come and say goodbye. It’s the end of an era! Big thanks to everyone who supported us,” the social media posts concluded.
