Funk ‘n Waffles’ campus Hill location at 727 S. Crouse Ave. will close this week, the restaurant has announced. The Thai restaurant appeThaizing at the same address will also close this week, its owner said.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Funk ’n Waffles announced that after 10 years of operation the business will close on Wednesday.

“This has been difficult for us as a staff, however we are left with no choice as the building block is being torn down,” the post states, referring to the proposed demolition of several businesses at 727 S. Crouse Ave. and 721-23 S. Crouse Ave. to create a “mixed-use building” that will contain luxury student apartments.

Additionally, appeThaizing will close its first location on Friday night after 12 years of service.

“It’s sad. Some have worked there a long time, and all of a suddenly they have to find a new job. I think they love it, and when the workers heard, they were nervous, sad and just unhappy,” said Joe Jittaratlert, co-owner of appeThaizing.

There’s another appeThaizing location in Liverpool, and the owners also own Khao Gaeng, a Thai-street food joint in downtown near Clinton Square. The owners are considering changing their downtown property into another appeThaizing as a result of their Hill location closing.

The owners’ downtown restaurants will deliver appeThaizing dishes via GrubHub to the Hill as soon as the South Crouse Avenue location closes, Jittaratlert said.

Several members of the kitchen staff will continue to work at the downtown restaurant and Liverpool location, but most of the front of house workers will be laid off, he added.

Funk ‘n Waffles’ second location, at 310 S. Clinton St. in downtown Syracuse, will remain open, per the Facebook post.

The eatery’s Hill location has operated for the past decade out of the basement at the 727 S. Crouse Ave. structure. The restaurant serves an assortment of waffles — both traditional waffles and nontraditional waffles, such as its pulled pork waffle and bacon-stuffed waffle.

Funk n’ Waffles was started by two Syracuse University alumni while they were students: Kyle Corea and Adam Gold. Gold is still the owner of the restaurant. In addition to its waffles, the restaurant also frequently hosts live music.

BLVD Equities, a real estate firm based out of New Jersey that is managed by Syracuse University alumni Jared Hutter and Brian Rosen, recently had its proposal approved to demolish the structures at 727 S. Crouse Ave and construct an eight-story “mixed use building.” The project would include 16,800 square feet of retail on the first floor in addition to residential apartments on the upper floors.

The Syracuse Planning Commission passed the proposal on Feb. 6.

According to paperwork filed with the city of Syracuse, the project’s timeline shows March 1 as the approximate start date for the project at South Crouse Avenue.

The developers for the project still must apply for construction and demolition permits before moving forward. Additionally, the developers have submitted a request to the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency for $1.7 million in mortgage and sales tax breaks that have yet to be approved. The IDA could vote on whether to accept the proposal as a project of the agency and approve the tax abatements as early as its Feb. 28 meeting.

The Funk ‘n Waffles Facebook post announcing its closing states that its Hill location “has something special.”

“Support for individuality, a comfortable place to nurture one’s dreams, dedicated small business owners and a space where we were able to grow,” the post states. “… This was where it all began.”

Published on February 20, 2017 at 3:02 pm

Contact Sam: sfogozal@syr.edu | @SamOgozalek