tavern on the summit.jpg

Tavern on the Summit restaurant, located near the Belk department store, opened at the Summit in 1998. (Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Tavern on the Summit, one of the oldest restaurants at the Summit shopping center, has closed after 15 years in business.

The Summit's marketing manager, Elisa Nelson, confirmed the restaurant's closing in an email this afternoon.

This note has been on the front door of Tavern on the Summit for the past several days. (Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

"Yes, Tavern on the Summit has closed permanently," Nelson wrote in an email to AL.com. "We are currently in the process of securing unique tenants for that space and will make an announcement when leases have been signed."

For the past several days, a notice has been posted on the door of the restaurant that says, "We are closed today, sorry for any inconvenience."

Efforts by AL.com to reach the restaurant's owners are ongoing.

Huntsville's Tavern at Bridge Street, which was modeled after the Tavern on the Summit, closed about four months ago.

Tavern on the Summit -- which featured an upscale bar menu that included burgers, sandwiches, salads and steaks -- opened in 1998.

It is not to be confused with another Summit restaurant,

, which remains open.

is the owner and developer of the Summit, which opened in 1997.