A seafood restaurant in a historic Hillsborough building is permanently closing following a two-month hiatus due to the coronavirus.

The James Pharmacy restaurant at 111 North Churton Street in Hillsborough announced Wednesday it would not be reopening. Owners Matt Fox and Dean James shared a long Facebook post with the community with the announcement.

The restaurant, named after the original business at the historical address, rebranded just over a year ago after being known as the LaPlace Louisiana Cookery.

Fox and James thanked the community for their many years of support, but cited the challenges from the ongoing pandemic as being a chief reason for James Pharmacy’s closure.

“In the end, we just can’t make the numbers work to bring back the JP we all knew and loved,” reads the restaurant’s Facebook post. “The honest truth is that for this restaurant to be financially sound it needs to be operating at full capacity nearly always, which can be challenging enough even in the best of times. We don’t see that as a possibility anytime soon, and don’t have the ability to wait for those days to return.”

Despite the restaurant’s closure in its current form, the owners indicated they may not be finished using the historic building for hospitality in downtown Hillsborough.

“We love the historic James Pharmacy building, and we love doing business in Hillsborough,” says the owners’ message. “Today for us is about exploring our options to plan for a better tomorrow, for our company and for our team.”

Fox and James also own the nearby Wooden Nickel Pub. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the restaurant has continued serving takeout to customers. James Pharmacy initially closed on March due to the pandemic.

Photo via James Pharmacy on Facebook.

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