Krave restaurant, music venue closes after summer fire

Krave Seafood & Oyster Bar has closed for good after a summer fire forced it to shut down.

Owners Mark Schwien and Teresa Chism announced the closure in an Oct. 20 Facebook post, saying they’ve worked with their insurance company, the city of Springfield, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on rebuilding solutions.

“There are none that make sense to rebuild at that location. We have traveled every avenue and looked at all our possibilities,” the post reads, noting the building likely would be demolished and the land sold. “We are keeping an open mind on other possible locations and will keep you informed.”

Once home to Cartoons Oyster Bar & Grill, the 1614 S. Glenstone Ave. property took on the Krave name in 2017, following the purchase of the restaurant and entertainment venue by Schwien and Chism, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. The two also own Friend's Karaoke Pub on West Battlefield Road.

Krave Facebook posts indicate a fire around July 4 severely damaged the restaurant’s kitchen and caused harm in other areas of the venue. No one was hurt in the fire, though company officials said “the interior damage is devastating.”

The seafood and steak restaurant that doubles as a music venue has hosted national acts including Afroman, The Schwag, Anthony Gomes and Troy.

Springfield Fire Department Chief Dave Pennington said the cause of the fire has not been determined.

“The extent and nature of the damage is such that it is difficult to make a definitive determination, other than to say the area of origin of the fire was in the kitchen area,” he said via email.