Salem BBQ Joint Closing After Just Eight Months In Business

SALEM, MA -- Smokin' Betty's, a Salem barbecue restaurant that developed a small but loyal following, is closing after just eight months in business. In a note on the restaurant's Facebook page, owners Steve Feldmann and Marie Feldmannova said the restaurant would remain open through the weekend, and they would continue to offer catering services on the North Shore.

"Marie and I took a (very large) gamble to bring something that we loved to Salem," the note said. "At the end of the day it really came down to simple math. We spent more money than we brought in and we projected a larger number of customers than we saw come through our doors. And by the end it was putting a major financial strain on our other two restaurants to keep it going. We don’t have investors nor do we have deep pockets so we had to make the call."

The duo also owns Gulu-Gulu Cafe and Flying Saucer Pizza Company in Salem. News of the restaurants closure brought an immediate flood of well wishes on social media. Within two hours after the note was posted, it had garnered more than 140 comments from fans of Smokin' Betty's.

The decision to close also comes just days after what is considered public relations gold in the greater Boston restaurant industry. over the weekend the local food television show, the Phantom Gourmet, ran a favorable segment on Smokin' Betty's.

Subscribe to Salem Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Photo by Smokin' Betty's.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).