Gather, a seasonal, farm-to-table small plates restaurant located on Gratiot on the border of Detroit's Eastern Market district, announced on social media that Thursday would be its last day in business under the current ownership.

Kyle and Lea Hunt, owners of the two-year-old restaurant and the beer bar Cøllect upstairs, said they were selling the business to "focus on family and simplicity."

The Hunts recently welcomed a baby boy, their first child, into the family.

Gather's road was a bumpy one. The restaurant opened in 2017 after a long buildout that required the owners and their opening chef to raise money in a Kickstarter campaign.

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Just a few months after opening, executive chef Nate Vogeli abruptly departed from the restaurant, forcing it to shut down for weeks while the Hunts searched for his replacement.

They found one in Jessi Patuano, a kitchen veteran of some of the best local restaurants, who helped steer Gather in the right direction.

But Patuano left earlier this summer to lead the kitchen at Folk in Corktown.

The announcement is just the latest in a spate of recent restaurant closings that have signaled a potential downturn in the local hospitality industry as operators struggle with rising real estate and labor costs as well as increased competition. Chef Maxcel Hardy's River Bistro in northwest Detroit announced its closure just last week.

Last year, the couple introduced Cøllect, a beer-focused minimalist bar on the second floor of the building. And the third-floor rooftop patio became a neighborhood hit earlier this year as well.

The Hunts recently debuted a walk-up soft serve window called Huddle in the downtown district, on John R near Woodward.

In a text message, Kyle Hunt said the businesses had found buyers, who will be updating the public with their plans soon. He said he and Lea are expanding the ice cream business and will be introducing an ice cream truck in the spring.

According to their social media posts, this Thursday will be the last day of business as we currently know it at both Gather and Cøllect until the new owners announce their plans.

Send your dining tips to Free Press Restaurant Critic Mark Kurlyandchik at 313-222-5026 ormkurlyandc@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MKurlyandchik and Instagram @curlyhandshake. Read more restaurant news and reviews and sign up for our Food and Dining newsletter.