Gray Brothers Cafeteria in Mooresville to close on June 8

MOORESVILLE, Ind. — The for-sale sign remains outside Gray Brothers Cafeteria, but the longtime staple of Mooresville regretfully announced the doors won’t be open much longer.

For more than 80 years, the Gray family has fed hungry Mooresville customers. Since 1979, the restaurant has been located at 555 S. Indiana Street. But that longstanding tradition will soon be no more as the restaurant will shutter for good on Sunday, June 8.

“While the Gray family had previously hoped to continue business at the Mooresville location, it is no longer a feasible financial option,” the Gray family said in a statement. “Like many others in the industry, it has become increasingly challenging over the past five years to run a sit-down restaurant. Inflation, the cost of ingredients, and the change in the food industry landscape put an unrecoverable financial strain on the Cafeteria in Mooresville.”

In February, the Gray family bid farewell to 555 S. Indiana Street when they announced the restaurant’s longtime location was for sale. The owners hoped to keep operations running during the sale, but three months later — despite a few interested buyers — the building remains unsold.

The owners previous expressed a desire to expand beyond Mooresville, citing an end to the “Mooresville chapter” of the restaurant while searching for a new location with more “opportunities for growth.”

In Monday’s announcement, the Gray family reaffirmed their desire to carry on the Gray Brothers Cafeteria. But the future remains murky as to when and where.

“In the coming months, the Gray family hopes to find a new location where they can reopen and continue to serve their homestyle meals to the community. If it’s a good business decision, the family says the new location could be in Mooresville. Although, no specific location has been identified,” the owners said.

The Gray family encourages longtime customers, and those who never got a chance to try their offerings, to stop by the cafeteria before the final operating day of June 8. The cafeteria will be open at its normal hours of 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, for dine-in, carryout, and online ordering.

“Gray Brothers Cafeteria is grateful for the town of Mooresville and the loyal customers who have continued to support Gray’s over the last 80 years,” the Gray family said.