In the television show The Sopranos character Artie Bucco, owner and chef of Nuovo Vesuvio, laments that owning a restaurant is like having a pet elephant: It costs a fortune to feed, and one day the creature defecates on your head. For some restaurant owners in Western North Carolina, 2018 proved the year of the ungrateful elephant.

Old-timers call it quits: A handful of longstanding restaurants bid loyal customers farewell this year. In January, the Lucky Otter announced its end after 15 years in West Asheville. Meanwhile downtown, Lexington Avenue Brewery plans to wrap up its nine years of service at the end of this month. Between those two closings, additional longtime eateries have folded, including The Southern Kitchen and Bar, Knife & Fork and Tod’s Tasties, which has rebranded as All Day Darling.

Middle-aged joints say, “Peace out”: Other restaurants closed in 2018 that didn’t quite qualify for old-timer status, including Edna’s in North Asheville, which shuttered after six years; Dobra Tea in Black Mountain which, after five years, was forced out of its location due to development; Sweet! On Cherry Street in Black Mountain, which closed after four years; King Daddy’s Chicken & Waffle, which bid adieu after four years and Lexington Corner Market, which didn’t quite last three years.

It all went away so fast: Sadly, there were a few local eateries that barely lasted a year, if that. English-style pub Pete’s Pies opened in December 2016, only to close in April of this year. Meanwhile, Frostbite Ice Cream established a second location — an ice cream bar and grill — on Merrimon Avenue in May, only to close five months later. Last, but not least, the S&W Artisanal made its debut in January before closing this summer.

It’s complicated: This year also saw the end of certain services. In February, Corner Kitchen Catering closed, but owners Joe Scully and Kevin Westmoreland have continued operating their restaurants, Corner Kitchen and Chestnut. The following month, Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. served its final lunch buffet, although the restaurants themselves are still going strong. Then in May, Firestorm Books & Coffee phased out its full-service cafe. Finally, White Duck Taco closed its original location in the River Arts District, relocating north on Riverside Drive. White Duck owners Ben Mixson and Laura Reuss have since opened Henrietta’s Poultry Shoppe inside the former original White Duck Taco shop space.