SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Fans of Missouri Mike’s BBQ and More have until April 27 to get their fix before the restaurant closes for good.

A Facebook post from owner Mike Hickman announced the closure, saying that gift cards will be good until Saturday and that catering orders will be fulfilled through Friday. Catering orders after April 26 will be refunded.

The restaurant, located at 2833 W. Chestnut Expwy., opened in 2021 after Hickman’s success operating a food truck near the tire shop he owned.

According to the post, Hickman’s adventure in food began accidentally when he started cooking for friends outside his tire shop on Sundays. The venture evolved into a food truck that sat outside Hickman’s tire shop on Chestnut Expressway, and eventually into the brick-and-mortar location.

The decision to close was difficult, Hickman said, and was especially hard given the time and energy he’d given the business.

“I have put in insane hours, poured my heart and soul into food and gained a lifetime of debt thinking it’ll be alright,” Hickman wrote in his social media post. “WRONG… it’s not alright. We have to stop this madness… so we are abruptly closing and it’s not by choice really.”

Hickman added the restaurant is for sale, including recipes and training. Those interested in purchasing the business or any of its equipment can contact Missouri Mike’s via Facebook.

The closure comes just seven months after the second Missouri Mike’s location on Battlefield Road and spin-off restaurant Deli Mike’s also closed. Hickman cited “…economic fluctuations, rising operational costs, and the unforeseen difficulties posed by the global pandemic” as one reason for the closure.