Boxa Pizza, Grinders, Wings and More closed its doors for the last time this past weekend.

Cindy Titus, executive director for the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber heard for a while that Boxa would close but added she did not know when that day would come.

Titus would not speculate why the business closed. She said the reasons could vary.

“It’s always disheartening to see any business close,” she said.

Mike Boksa, owner of the restaurant, could not be reached for comment. Boxa’s, which opened in 2000 and was located at 453 Lincoln Ave., specialized in pizza and sandwiches.

Boksa also owned AJ’s Restaurant and Bar, a sit-in restaurant, located at 1405 Fourth St. AJ’s closed during the spring.

Titus said the food industry has the highest rate of failure because of competition, adding the current state of the economy makes it more difficult for a restaurant to succeed.

She said Boxa appeared to have a solid consumer base. Other factors may have forced the closing, Titus said.

“It’s a hard business,” she said.

Mayor John Inyart said he was disappointed to see the longstanding restaurant close. He said he speculated that consumers are cutting back on money they spend for dining because of the economy, which can have adverse effects for restaurants.

“Apparently, that’s what folks are doing,” he said.

Boxa is the third restaurant that specializes in pizza to close this year. Villa Pizzeria and Papa Murphy’s closed at the end of July.

Charleston restaurants that offer pizza are: Pizza Hut, Pagliai’s Pizza, Chubby’s Pizza, Monical’s Pizza, Jerry’s Pizza, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Domino’s and Papa John’s.

Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7942 or sdibenedetto@eiu.edu.