Allsports Cafe closes Blacksburg restaurant, citing location too far away from student clientele

Allsports Cafe has closed its Blacksburg restaurant just seven months after its opening.

The restaurant closed Sunday. Owner Kenneth Atkins said the restaurant wasn’t successful because of its location, which ultimately hurt sales.

The restaurant, at 1600 N. Main St., is about a mile from downtown. Atkins said a lot of students walk to their destinations, making his restaurant an inconvenient choice.

“It’s just a totally different market,” Atkins said.

The restaurant employed about 20 people, who received their last paycheck Thursday, Atkins said.

He hasn’t decided whether to reopen in a more suitable location in Blacksburg.

“I may decide to regroup and try again,” Atkins said.

Allsports operates two restaurants in Roanoke (one in the market building and another in the Grandin area) and one in Salem. Business at those three locations has been growing, Atkins said.

“I’m going to concentrate on what I’ve got going and build on my successes,” he said.

• Grace’s Place Pizzeria at 4321 Brambleton Ave. will close at the end of July. Grace Niday, who owns the restaurant with her brother, Ruben Liendo, said they will concentrate on the original location at 1316 Grandin Road.

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