Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times

Owners Chuck and Stephanie Hussey closed the Claret Cafe in Radford on Sunday, and the Coffee Mill could be sold with the building if the buyer is interested, said Keith Bolte, owner of both the Coffee Mill and the building.

The Roanoke Times | File February

Rather than alter their vision of what they called "old Southern diner meets European bistro" when the restaurant opened in February, cafe owners Chuck and Stephanie Hussey decided to close the doors. "We stepped outside the norm and we made an awful lot of people happy, but not enough," Chuck Hussey said.

| Amy Matzke-Fawcett

amy.matzke-fawcett@roanoke.com, 381-1674

RADFORD -- A single downtown building is the site of much change.

The 1940-built building at 1144 E. Main St., home to two food establishments and three upstairs apartments, is for sale.

One tenant, the Claret Cafe, closed its doors Sunday. The closing is unrelated to the sale, said cafe owners Chuck and Stephanie Hussey.

The Coffee Mill, the building's other shop, could be sold with the building if the buyer is interested, said Keith Bolte, owner of both the Coffee Mill and the building.

Bolte said he is not actively seeking a buyer for the Coffee Mill, but he will consider a new owner for the business if someone is interested in taking it over along with the building.

"Radford needs a coffee shop," Bolte said. "We're committed to keeping it open."

But staying open isn't a possibility any longer for the Claret Cafe, the Husseys said.

"We're not happy about it," Stephanie Hussey said.

Rather than alter their vision of what they called "old Southern diner meets European bistro" when the restaurant opened in February, they decided to close the doors.

"We stepped outside the norm and we made an awful lot of people happy, but not enough," Chuck Hussey said.

After a slow summer, the couple expected business to pick up once classes started again at Radford University. When that didn't happen, they said, they decided it was time to close the doors.

"We limped through the summer, but people are hanging onto their money," Stephanie Hussey said. "With no one knowing when the budget cuts are coming, people are tightening their belts."

The couple said they would like to stay in Radford and continue to cook somewhere else but are open to the possibility of leaving the area as well.

Many of their summer customers were tourists, they said, so they may try cooking in another city.

"We'll see what happens," Chuck Hussey said.

Meanwhile, the building has been for sale since June 29, said Stephen Ayers of Coldwell Banker Townside, the real estate agent selling the property.

Some interest has been shown in the property, but no sale is in the works, he said.

The building's sale is purely a business transaction, said Bolte, who owns Bolte Development. He said the firm also has properties in Blacksburg and Radford for sale.

"It's an excellent opportunity for somebody," Bolte said.