The owner of popular St. George restaurant Ancho Honey recently announced on social media his plans to close the venue, citing soaring operational costs, staffing shortages and a desire to spend more time with family as chief reasons behind the decision.

Malcolm Bedell, who also owns Honey’s Fried Chicken Palace in Thomaston, said in a lengthy, detailed April 4 Facebook post that he would not be reopening Ancho Honey this spring. The nearly six-year-old restaurant had been shuttered over the winter.

The “Stinger” fried chicken sandwich at Ancho Honey with hot honey barbecue glaze, Alabama white barbecue sauce and jalapeno-Parmesan spread. Photo courtesy of Ancho Honey

Bedell could not be reached immediately for additional comment on the closure.

“When we opened Ancho Honey nearly six years ago, in 2019, the world and the restaurant industry in particular was a very different place,” Bedell wrote, noting that the hospitality industry’s labor pool has shrunk considerably since the pandemic, causing staffing challenges for the restaurant.

Moreover, Bedell’s electric bill tripled and food costs more than doubled, and he was not inclined to raise his menu prices enough to compensate. Bedell said he’s 47 years old, “starting to slow down a little bit,” and wants to be able to spend more time with his three daughters.

Bedell said Honey’s — a restaurant born out of the remarkable popularity of Ancho Honey’s Sunday fried chicken sandwich specials — made about four times as much revenue as Ancho Honey did last year. Sales for 2024 at Ancho Honey were down 56% from 2023, he said.

“Diverting budget, staff, and most importantly, time away from Honey’s in favor of Ancho seems like bad business, no matter how emotionally tied to Ancho Honey I may be,” he wrote.

Bedell asked anyone with a gift card for Ancho Honey to contact him “so we can figure out the next steps…  I’m determined to get you the value you deserve.”