In a bombshell of closure news, La Dulce is shutting its doors next Sunday, November 26, just five months after relocating to the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Detroit. Co-owner Luis Negrete cited the pressures of running a hotel restaurant as a factor in the shutter, according to the Detroit Free Press:

The very long hours of operation and the demands of being in a hotel are much greater than what we could tackle.

La Dulce originally debuted in Royal Oak in 2015 with a flavorful Spanish tapas menu and a uniquely whimsical look. However, the restaurant ownership decided in June to enter the growing downtown Detroit hotel dining scene in the space previously occupied by The Jefferson House. In late September, the Negretes made the decision to transition to a Mexican menu in part as a salute to earthquake relief and their relatives in Mexico.

Negrete tells the Free Press that business was better in Detroit but that it was difficult to fashion a menu that appealed towards the tastes of customers who had previously come for the tapas and travelers staying in the hotel who sought a more familiar menu.

A new restaurant is expected to replace La Dulce in the space. Eater has reached out to the Crowne Plaza for more details.

• After Brief Downtown Run, La Dulce Restaurant Will Shutter This Weekend [Freep]

• La Dulce Reopens in Crowne Plaza With Touches of Whimsy [ED]

• La Dulce Leaves Royal Oak for Detroit’s Crowne Plaza Hotel [ED]

• All La Dulce Coverage [ED]

• All The Shutter Coverage [ED]