City Cafe closes while owner recovers
City Cafe owner and chef Bradley Royal announced on the restaurant's Facebook page that he is closing the restaurant while he recovers from severe back pain.
"For the last six months, I have been dealing with progressively worsening, severe lower back pain," Royal wrote in the post Monday. "Medical advice warns that permanent nerve damage will be the cost of continuing to work in the constrained environment that has been my home for almost 17 years."
Royal said on Facebook that Sept. 23 was the cafe's last day open but assured patrons on a telephone voicemail message that "we will be back."
"It's reached the point where I can no longer do this," he said in the message. "I need extended time to heal."
Royal took over the then-Petite Grill at 443 N. Pennsylvania St. in December 2000 and made some big changes that caused some of the Petite's regulars to go elsewhere: He removed the deep fryer, put up a "no smoking" sign and took burgers and tenderloins off the menu.
Royal and his wife, Nancy, are hoping to reopen the cafe in about a year.
"Rather than compromise quality, we've chosen to close City Cafe," he said.
IndyStar is reaching out to Royal for additional comment.
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