Less than two years after opening as one of the anchors of the Libbie Mill development, a niche food seller is shutting down as it shifts its business model to opening smaller storefronts.

Southern Season announced this morning it was closing its 53,000-square-foot retail store and restaurant at 2250 Staples Mill Road. When it opened in July 2014, it was the third brick-and-mortar shop the North Carolina-based company had opened.

The company said in a press release the Richmond store was too expensive and too big to keep open in what it described as a “rapidly evolving retail environment.”

“Southern Season is closing its (store) on Staples Mill Road in Richmond, Virginia, to allow the company to concentrate on its smaller store formats,” the press release read. “The decision to close this store was made after careful consideration of the long-term financial performance of this location.”

The store’s in-house restaurant Sotherly, along with its deli and bakery will close today. The rest of the store will close April 24.

Included in the press release was news that Southern Season plans to open a 25,000-square-foot store in Atlanta later this year, and has plans to add another smaller North Carolina store this year. The 40-year-old company currently has three locations open outside Virginia, in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Workers at the Richmond store will have the option to transfer to other Southern Season stores or take a separation package, according to the release.

“We thank our valued Richmond customers for their loyalty,” Southern Season president Dave Herman said in the release. “We look forward to seeing them over the next few weeks at our storewide sale.”

Stay tuned to BizSense for more details on the closing.