FARMINGTON — The Granary Restaurant on Pleasant Street closed this week, leaving 27 people unemployed.

“(The closing) is permanent, for me,” owner Richard Griswold said. “I really regret it got to this point. We just couldn’t do it. The economic downturn kicked us pretty hard.”

The restaurant saw a drop in business of about 25 to 30 percent since November and that month was down from last year, he said.

“We couldn’t sustain it,” Griswold said. “The staff did a great job. It had nothing to do with the staff. We had the finest staff around, and we’re pretty fussy. They did everything they could.”

Comment cards at the restaurant were good. There were never any complaints about quality, he said. “(Customers) said we were doing a fine job,” but it wasn’t enough.

The large building at the end of Broadway, a former Grange store, houses the restaurant, a large meeting room on the street level, four apartments and one storefront.

The large meeting room, a popular space for groups and programs, will be missed.

The Rotary Club, with an average of 55 members, meets there every Thursday morning but intends to meet down the street at The Company until a more permanent place can be found, said Joyce King, president of the Farmington club.

“We heard rumors (about a potential closing) but were told they were false,” she said. “Hopefully, someone will reopen it.”

Another owner is a possibility, Griswold said.

“Some people have expressed interest, but you can’t take interest to the bank,” he said.

The restaurant business and building are for sale. The apartments and storefront renters are fine until a new owner takes it on or the bank takes it back, he said.

Initially, the Griswolds and their son and daughter-in-law, Brett and Vanessa, took on the restaurant, he said. The son served as chef and general manager, but he passed away a couple of years ago, Griswold said. Now he is on his own to handle the restaurant closing while he works another job.

“Originally, I was only supposed to handle building maintenance,” he said.

He said other business owners have expressed concerns, telling him that he might not be alone if the economy doesn’t turn around soon.

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