06/11/2026
Seeing posts like this is a reminder that supporting local matters now more than ever especially in the food world. 🧡💙💛
Running a small business isn't easy. Rising food costs, staffing multiple locations, spoilage, and everyday losses are realities that many people never see. Behind every local restaurant, farm stand, bakery, and market are families, employees, and countless hours of work.
At Mal's Fresh Produce, we've felt those challenges too. We know firsthand how hard local businesses fight to keep serving their communities while maintaining the quality and consistency.
So when you choose to shop local, grab dinner from a family-owned restaurant, or stop by a roadside market, you're doing more than making a purchase, you're helping keep dreams alive, supporting jobs, and investing in the people who make our communities special.
Thank you for continuing to support small businesses. It truly means more than you know. 🍑🌽🍅❤️
Certainly not the post we'd want to be making. But...
After a great deal of thought, and a heavy heart, we have made the decision to close Von Blaze.
Of course this isn't a decision influenced by a lack of passion, effort, or belief in what we made here.
The reality is that upholding the standards we set for ourselves in the beginning became increasingly difficult to keep in a climate where costs continue to rise and guests are asked to make tough choices with their own dollars. We were faced with a choice we never wanted to have to make, become something different than what we believed in, or step away knowing we did the best we could have in a tremendously difficult industry. We chose the second option.
I'd be lying if I said it doesnt sting. Von Blaze is deeply personal. Our family is here, our kids grew working here. It was truly a second home. Every plate, every late night, early morning and all nighter, every success and failure becomes a part of your life, and Von Blaze, with out a doubt, was a huge part of mine and my family's. Closing a chapter like this comes with disappointment, frustration, and a lot of reflection.
But more than anything, it comes with a feeling of gratitude that is hard to express. The last 4.5 years have been a blessing and a blur of endless meals and smiling faces. We have met countless friends, made impressions, had people come and go, grew and learned, had some great times and some not so great times. But we have always loved doing what we do and loved sharing it with all who walked through the doors.
To every guest who trusted us with a special occasion, or just dinner on a Thursday night, you are the ones who keep small restaurants alive, THANK YOU! To all the people who gave their time, talent, and heart to this restaurant, past and present, THANK YOU. To everyone who supported us, encouraged us, and believed in what we built, THANK YOU!.
I will stay incredibly proud of what Von Blaze was and what was accomplished, through all the best and worst. This certainly isnt the end. It's just the end of this chapter. And we will keep pushing on.
With gratitude and humility,
-Chef Chris McDonald, April and the VB Fam.
