The owners of Schroeder’s Bar and Grill say they won’t reopen the St. Paul restaurant after all, following a fire at the restaurant last November.

Owners Brad and Gail Schmitt decided to call it quits because of a variety of factors.

“Half of the foundation had to be replaced. It was just a mess. We had the building torn down this week. We are not going to reopen,” said Brad Schmitt, whose restaurant was named after his nickname “Schroeder.” “The wait for insurance was long; we lost employees; we lost customers. … We were pretty much gone.”

Schmitt said cost was also a factor. Three bids to replace the building were in the million-dollar range and more costly than the couple was expecting, he said.

The bar and restaurant at 605 Front Ave. has had a long history as a neighborhood institution. The Schmitts ran the spot for 11 years, serving up popular items such as burgers, broasted chicken, pot pie and meatloaf after taking over the former Jeraldine’s bar and restaurant, which had a 30-year run.

The November fire caused $250,000 in damage. The restaurant closed, but that was meant to be temporary until repairs were made.

Schmitt said Wednesday that the cause of the fire has since been determined to be electrical.

For Schmitt, the closing is bittersweet.

“We’re hearing from a lot of well-wishers that have sent us a lot of notes,” he said. “It’s been very nice.”