'COVID Caught Up To Us:' Chef 'Forced' To Close Mystic Eatery

MYSTIC, CT — The voicemail message from Francis "Frank" Grace, owner and chef at Frank’s Gourmet Grille in Mystic, is heartbreaking. "Covid has caught up to us.”

Grace says that he has been “forced” to close as he awaits a determination on federal loan assistance to remain open.

“I say this with great sadness and great admiration for all of you. I love all of you. You have patronized my business for 27 years. I look forward and pray that we do receive funding to get this thing back up and running. I'm very proud of what we've done over here. I love you all and keep checking, please. I will keep this phone updated more frequently. Thank you so much. Merry Christmas everybody. Happy Hanukkah or whatever the holidays that you might be celebrating. Thank you.”

The eatery, which has a large following on Facebook, has accolades from Connecticut Magazine as an "Expert's Choice" in 2015, has been a New London Day Readers’ Choice award-winner for years. And at one time, was “ranked #1 on Trip Advisorfor Mystic restaurants."

Grace, a former Navy submariner, has been in the restaurant business “all my life,” starting as a pot and pan scrubber in Long Island, and working his way up to own eateries in East Lyme, Niantic and Mystic.

Read his story here.

Meanwhile, Grace's daughter took to Facebook in an effort to explain, and in specific, to address another community post from a person who was upset that only after ordering and paying for a gift certificate, found out through calling the eatery that the business had closed.

"Hello everyone, I am Frank’s daughter from Franks Gourmet Grille. I’m so sorry, but due to financial reasons, he had to close down for a little while. Please understand that times are extremely rough, and it is not his fault, my father is a very good person and will make things right in due time. Please don’t worry, and please pray for a fast opening," wrote Alicia Grace. And on the post, added a link to a GoFundMe created to help support a reopening of the shuttered business.

Within an hour of her posting, and creating the GoFundMe, many shared their support and, the GoFundMe had raised around $200.

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