“Dolce on the corner of East Central and South Eola appears to have ceased operations. The space has been dark with no activity for several weeks. There is no sign posted on the door giving an explanation for the closure. Do you know what’s going on? Their website is still active: dolcethorntonpark.com.”
– J. Nichols
Dolce (Facebook), a “Roaring 20’s-themed dessert bar and restaurant,” opened in November 2021 in the former home of Eden’s Fresh at 500 E. Central Boulevard [GMap] by Lake Eola Park.
The restaurant hosted us for our 281st episode of “Bungalower and The Bus” in July 2022, but went silent in November 2023. At the time, we reached out to the owner, Christopher Buxton, who told us that, “Dolce has not closed permanently. All I can say at the moment is we are correcting some issues to open back up.”
Fast-forward to March 2024, and Buxton has confirmed that the restaurant has indeed closed, with the following message.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Dolce in Thornton Park. This decision was not made lightly, and we want to express our deep gratitude to our loyal customers, dedicated staff, and the community that embraced us over the past couple of years.
Running a restaurant has always been a labor of love for us. Unfortunately, several factors have converged, making it increasingly difficult to sustain our business in this challenging environment. We believe transparency is crucial, so we would like to share some of the key reasons behind our closure.
1. Economic Challenges: The rising costs of ingredients, utilities, and overall operational expenses have significantly impacted our bottom line. Despite our best efforts to streamline costs and maintain affordability, the economic realities of running a restaurant in this market have proven to be formidable.
2. Staffing Shortages: Like many businesses, we have struggled with staffing shortages. Recruiting and retaining skilled and dedicated personnel has become increasingly difficult, affecting the quality of service we aimed to provide.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to our incredible staff, whose hard work and dedication defined the essence of Dolce Thornton Park. To our patrons, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives and for creating a vibrant community around our tables.
While this chapter may be closing, we are exploring options for the future and remain open to the possibility of returning in a different form. We are immensely grateful for the support we have received, and we hope our paths cross again in the future.
Thank you for understanding during this challenging time.”
– C. BUXTON, OWNER
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