St. Pete is about to be down one specialty cafe.

Crislip Cafe, located at 645 Central Ave., took to social media yesterday to announce its immediate closure.

“It is with heavy hearts that Kevin and I have made the decision to close the cafe. Due to rising prices, staffing shortages, and other myriad reasons we have had to make this difficult decision,” co-owner Jennifer Schultz wrote on Instagram.

Its last day open was Sunday, March 19.

Crislip’s owners state that its former cafe space will be used to expand their retail store The Merchant, open out of the same Central Avenue parcel.

“Financially, we will be better off supporting local artists and making it the best gift shop,” Crislip commented on Facebook. “High rents and so many things factored into this swift decision we made.”

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Crislip Cafe—named after 101 year-old open-air arcade it’s located inside of—was known for its menu of specialty coffees, lattes, and teas in addition to a variety of locally-baked pastries and handheld treats.

The Crislip Arcade is one of the last open-air shopping corridors in St. Pete, and faced the possibility of being demolished before earning a historical marker and protection from Preserve the Burg’ in 2008.

The Schultzs opened Crislip Cafe out of their local goods shop in 2020, while The Merchant itself has been at 645 Central Ave. since 2018.