The owner of the Reluctant Chef in St. John's says it was a hard decision, but the restaurant will close at the end of next month.

"'Reluctant-ly' closing our doors," reads a post on the restaurant's website.

"This is not merely a 'goodbye', it's a celebration of five amazing and rewarding years in this outstanding restaurant scene."

Tony Butt, who is the owner and operator of the Duckworth Street business, said the decision has been made in order to allow the business to focus more on its catering service.

"This has been an integral part of our success over the past five years and makes the most business sense," reads an email from Butt.

The last day for the restaurant is Feb. 24, and Butt encourages anyone who has gift certificates to redeem them before that date.

"We will continue to raise the bar during our time remaining," Butt said.

"Although we're sad to see this journey end, we leave proud of our contribution to what continues to be an outstanding restaurant scene," he added.