Riley's Brew Pub in Clovis permanently closed

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- A popular Clovis brewery announced it has closed its doors on Monday.

"Now, I have to figure out where I'm gonna eat for dinner tonight," said Clovis resident, Ralph Watkins.

He was one of several customers surprised to see Riley's Brew Pub is permanently closed.

Watkins said he was a regular since the restaurant opened.

"It's different. It's not like everything else. It's not fast food, it's not like a coffee shop. They had great food and they had great service," said Watkins.

The owners of Riley's made the sudden announcement online Monday afternoon.

Action News spoke to co-owner Michael Shirinian after the announcement.

He said he was under the impression there would be more development in the area when they went into business.

He was hoping to connect the pub to Harlan Ranch and says when development stalled, it had a major impact on sales.

"It's a sad day because we love our clientele out there and our staff was dynamite so you know, if sales would of grown and development would of been there, you know, we would probably still be there," said Shirinian.

Many employees are devastated by the news. One staff member who did not want to appear on camera said he's worked in the restaurant industry for about 10 years and that Riley's was a special place.

He added that some of his colleagues were supporting their families with the money they made at Riley's.

"I took my family there, I enjoyed the food, I enjoyed the drinks, I thought it was a really good family atmosphere," said City of Clovis Economic Development Director Chad McCollum.

He added that small businesses are the backbone of the community and he's saddened to see Riley's Brew Pub shut down.

"It impacts employees, it impacts customers and it impacts the business owners that have put so much time and effort into their establishment," said McCollum.

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