Batavia's Fox Grill and Outpost falls victim to triple whammy

Today is the last day to get a beer and a burger in a joint that makes you feel like you're north of the Wisconsin state line.

Fox Grill and Outpost on Water Street in Batavia is closing after 11 years.

The pub was known for its relaxed atmosphere, screened-in porch, mounted fish on the wood-paneled walls and the fish served at Friday-night fries.

But, "the place is absolutely a money pit," restaurant owner Cynthia Blomquist said Monday. The restaurant suffered a triple whammy. She said business started going downhill when Batavia was rebuilding the Wilson Street bridge over the Fox River in 2007 and 2008, which took at least six months longer than expected and involved shutting the bridge down several times. "People created new habits," she said.

The second was when the state banned smoking in bars and restaurants, starting in 2008. The third was the recession.

Blomquist said she and the building's owner couldn't reach a deal on the rent and length of a new lease.

She had a buyer interested in the restaurant, but he failed to show up at an informational meeting with the owner, Blomquist said, as she took a break from serving customers at the bar and selling the restaurant's fixtures and memorabilia. Nine men were there the "Jeopardy Crew," she called them, because they meet there every day to watch the game show on TVs at the bar.

She started as a waitress at the restaurant, joined in as a partner a year later, then bought the whole thing. Her 17-year-old daughter has grown up working in the business, doing everything but tend bar, Blomquist said. "It's so devastating to her," she said.

The building, constructed in 1952, has seen several restaurants over the years. It originally housed Feece Oil Co.

Blomquist said she would like to have another restaurant. She put the closure into perspective this way: "Things could be worse. It's not like anybody died."