Shortly before Christmas, with little-to-no warning, the “Open” sign at downtown Petaluma’s Tortilla Real stayed dark, with no posted notice on the door to explain why the doors were locked, most of the restaurant’s outdoor patio furniture stacked up just inside the unlit interior of the spot located between Sugo Trattoria and Stefano’s Pizza.

It was a Facebook posting, shared across various social media sites, that confirmed it.

“Tortilla Real is closing,” read the statement from owner Luis Flores. “With sadness in my heart, I’m (posting) this message to let people know we will be closing our doors for good. We being here for 5 years, it has been an honor to serve people in Petaluma. Unfortunately, we never had enough support to keep our little restaurant going.”

In the note, Flores expressed concern for his employees.

“I’m reaching out to different restaurants to see if they can take them,” he said. “They are amazing and will bring a great attitude to your restaurant.”

Flores also stated he’d be selling the interior equipment to help pay his bills, and encouraged interested parties to contact him at Luis@tortillareal.com.

Though the eatery never built up a big enough regular clientele to sustain it long-term, those who counted it as a favorite will miss Flores’ cod fish tacos, vegan-friendly pozole, and seasonal pumpkin soup.