Chester's Smokehouse in Albany, which endured a two-year gestation before finally opening in late June 2015, closed abruptly this week. There is a closed sign on the door, and the business' Facebook page confirms the sudden development but does not give a reason.

On the one hand, I'm mystified by this, as Chester's frequently looked busy, and there was strong allegiance among what seemed to be a wide swath of the public for Chester's variety of smoked meats and cheeses, housemade sausages, charcuterie and other cured products, and even the giant loaves of rye bread made to Chester's specifications. On the other hand, as is the case with other people's finances in general, you can never really know what's going on behind the scenes, the food business is a tough racket, and besides its lengthy opening struggles, Chester's also had a misfire with a sit-down restaurant that failed in Troy within 10 months in 2016. Also, co-owner Mark Altarac, who founded Chester's with veteran butcher Chester Rozycki, died in January.