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NATCHEZ — The Rendezvous in downtown Natchez abruptly announced its permanent closing on its Facebook page on Monday.

Business partners Wayne Bryant Canon and Sammy Atkins, who were childhood friends while growing up in Natchez, opened the restaurant at 312 Main St. in July.

It was styled after the former beloved Rendezvous restaurant that operated in Natchez in the mid-twentieth century.

John and Robin Branton bought a controlling interest in the business in late summer and partnered with Canon. Branton said the decision to close was “absolutely a business decision and a hard one.

“If you don’t have a packed restaurant on Friday and Saturday night…you can’t continue to operate when you have two tables on Saturday nights,” Branton said.

“We tried to figure out a way to make it work. We cut back hours. We were working on the menu..It just would not catch on,” he said.

Branton hates that the decision had to be made because of the employees who are now without jobs, at least for a time.

“We had some fabulous employees. I hope they all land on their feet. We have offered to help them find other employment in any way we can. Lots of restaurants are looking for people right now. It’s very hard to find good people, and our employees were very good people,” he said.

Branton also mentioned that food costs are very high right now.

“Food costs are through the roof. We actually worked on the menu and cut the food costs as well as we could. We got it down as low as we could. The math wasn’t working. People can’t afford that right now,” he said.

“We had great food and some of the best employees. I can’t say enough about our employees. They were awesome. I loved owning a restaurant and having a restaurant downtown. Maybe we will try it again someday,” Branton said.