• Brooklyn Pie Company, a pizzeria on Padre Island, suddenly closed its doors this week.
• Staff at Brooklyn Pie Company have not said why they are closing, but neighbors say they are not surprised by the sudden closure of a small business.
• Businesses on the island rely on the busy summer tourist season to make most of their profits.
• The Padre Island Business Association encourages people to visit the island, shop small and support local.

Brooklyn Pie Company, a pizza restaurant on Padre Island for nearly 10 years, suddenly closed its doors for good this week. Neighbors said they were saddened by Brooklyn Pie Company’s closing but not surprised because small businesses on the island must depend on tourist money to survive.

“We are quite a tourist destination, especially between Memorial Day and Labor Day. So, you know, a lot of the restaurants and retail stores here rely on local people; I trust not only the people who live here, but also those from the rest of Corpus Christi,” said Padre Island Business Association Executive Director Stan Hulse.

Brooklyn Pie Company did not say why it closed, but Hulse believes it may have been due to inflation.

“While I don’t know the specifics of why a particular business is closing, I can speak to the general community here that, like other places, restaurants are struggling,” Hulse said. “The rising costs we’re all experiencing in grocery stores, food and cooking oils, and what they’re cooking up on their menus have definitely been a struggle for most of the restaurants I’ve talked to.”

It is not uncommon for islanders to see local businesses open and close frequently.

“There have been a few that have sold and a couple that have closed, but they told me it was due to extenuating circumstances,” Hulse said.

Members of the Padre Island Business Alliance are reminding people from across the Coastal Bend that the island is made up almost entirely of local businesses and they appreciate the support from tourists and locals alike.

“There are 300 thousand of you on that bridge. We are your island, Corpus Christi; Let’s go to the island. We have many restaurants that you haven’t tried or haven’t tried yet. We have a lot of stores and businesses,” Hulse said.

Although Brooklyn Pie Company is closing its doors, some new businesses have recently opened on the island, including Hometown Seafood Company and Champs Meat Market.

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