Doormét permanently closes in St. Pete

The gourmet delivery restaurant Doormét has permanently closed its doors on the 600 Block of Central Avenue.

Doormét (a fusion of the words “door” and “gourmet”) is a fast-casual restaurant that serves gourmet food quickly and is known for its salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas and offers dine-in, take out, catering and delivery. 

The business owner announced the closure at 681 Central Ave. to customers in an email, detailing the multiple factors that led to its permanent closing and thanking those who have supported their business. 

“We have had consistent issues in St. Pete, everything from finding help, to growing the business, to increased food costs, to increased labor costs, high rents and a generally difficultly in reaching residents and getting orders from homes at night,” the owner wrote in an email to customers. 

“We enjoyed a strong lunch business and had many regular customers we would like to thank,” the email continued, acknowledging those who asked if the owners were OK and if they were going to reopen the business. 

The business’ challenges, the email said, “caused family issues and were a serious detriment to our quality of life. This is a bittersweet time, while on one hand a huge weight has been lifted, on the other hand we can’t help but to think how excited we were to come to St. Pete, how much we loved the space we rented, and how sure we were we would replicate Tampa’s success. However, that did not come to fruition.” 

The Tampa store, which has been operating for over 10 years, will now service any St. Pete catering orders. 

A source familiar with the property said the owner has assigned the lease of 681 Central Ave. to another party. Prior to Doormét’s arrival in 2020, the space housed Amigos Tortilla Bar.