Dothan Italian restaurant closes its doors

DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — Fazoli's on Ross Clark Circle is officially closed.

Fazoli's franchise owner, Bob Sirkis, announced the closure in a Facebook post Thursday morning.

In the post, Sirkis cited the ongoing construction on Ross Clark Circle as the largest factor in the restaurant's decline.

"To say that the construction on the widening of Ross Clark Circle has hurt our business would be an understatement," Sirkis said. "Because people are avoiding the confusion and congestion of the construction zone, our sales declined to a point that we lost a great deal of money and simply could not remain open."

The Ross Clark Circle project, managed by the Alabama Department of Transportation, is currently in its third phase. It will widen the road between Choctaw and Cherokee Streets to six lanes and is expected to continue through the summer of 2025.

"The City of Dothan and the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce have done everything they could to help us and the other merchants along the Circle," said Sirkis.

IHOP closed in late August, just two doors down from Fazoli's.