The Norfolk Pub, a local gathering place for the past half century, is closing its doors January 31 in the wake of the sale of the historic Royal Arcanum Building on Station Place.
The building, which had been owned by the Norfolk Hub since 2021, was sold last September to American Folk & Heritage, LLC, a non-profit focused on preserving American craft and handwork, for $1.4 million. The buyers reportedly plan to use the space to support their mission of preserving American crafts.
Proceeds of the sale will be used by the Norfolk Hub, formerly the Norfolk Foundation, to benefit local initiatives such as affordable housing and the new firehouse.
In a Facebook posting, Norfolk Pub bartender Lindsey Prevuznak said that as the restaurant works toward its closing date only cash payments will be accepted. She noted that there is an ATM nearby at the National Iron Bank.
None of the principals for this story could be reached at press time although members of the Economic Development Commission expressed dismay Thursday night about the loss of the restaurant.
“it’s imminent and it’s happening,” said EDC Chairman Brett Robbins, adding that he had reached out to one of the new owners, Dev Aujla. “I would really love to find ways to cooperate with them but the feedback that I got was they are still in the midst of renovation, permitting and all those steps.”
He expects there will be no further movement about a pub until the renovation is completed. “Losing the pub feels like a really big hit when we think about supporting businesses downtown,” he said. “We need to think of how we can make sure that a pub shows back up, but there is no action for now.”
A landmark designed in 1904 by architect Alfredo Taylor, the building originally served Royal Arcanum Insurance and the local fire department and has since seen a variety of commercial tenants within its walls. Five apartments were on the second floor.