OREGON, Ohio — After 14 years in business, the Black Forest Cafe is closing its doors and reopening in a new capacity.

The owners announced the news on their Facebook page Monday night. Ben Krieger, president of the German-American Festival Society, said he’s overwhelmed by the community’s support. 

“Within three hours, we had almost 30,000 replies,” Krieger said. “We’re just as upset as the community.”

Located in Oak Shade Grove, Krieger said the building used to be the clubhouse. Now, it’s getting another new title.

Krieger told WTOL 11 the restaurant will now be an event center for showers, birthday parties and other group gatherings. He said they will also service a catering business out of the building, allowing the restaurant’s regulars to still get their German-American staples with a slightly different menu.

But for some regulars, the news is still hard to hear.

“I still don’t like to see it go,” Regina Wandscher, a resident of Perrysburg who plays cards at the grove on Wednesdays, said.

“I eat here at least twice a week and they’re only open four days a week,” said Roberta Gascal, a resident of Oregon.

As a club, Krieger said funds are tight, and while he said the annual German-American Festival held at the grove is their biggest money maker, it’s still not enough to keep the restaurant up and running.

“We’re going to change it around and see how things go from there,” Krieger said.

As far as the festival goes, Krieger said the closing of the restaurant should not impact it at all, as they close the restaurant for the festival every year.

While most people know Oak Shade Grove because of the German-American Festival, he said he wants the public to know it’s more than just the annual festival’s location.

“It’s not just the German-American festival that goes on one weekend in August,” he said. “There’s always something going on out here.”

The restaurant’s last day in business is Sept. 27. Krieger said they are currently accepting bookings for the event center.