NORFOLK, Va. — Texas de Brazil has operated at MacArthur Center for years, but recently a notice from the restaurant announced plans to relocate.
Now, anyone calling to make reservations at Texas De Brazil in Norfolk will find out its steak is no longer sizzling and will hear this recording: “Thank you for calling Texas De Brazil in Norfolk Virginia. Unfortunately, this location is temporarily closed until further notice.”
The unforeseen closure is disappointing some restaurant customers.
“How disappointing, oh my goodness,” said Barbara. “Now I have to go all the way to Newport News."
A woman who had reservations at the Norfolk location shared her cancellation email with 13News Now but didn’t want to go on camera.
The email read, “Unfortunately we can no longer operate at this location due to recent incidents, as the safety of our staff and our guests is our number one priority.”
Within the last five weeks, Norfolk Police responded to three separate shootings in the downtown area.
On March 19, five people were shot outside Chicho’s Pizza Backstage. Three of the five victims died. Marquel Andrews, 24, died in the hospital nearly a month after the shooting that also killed Virginian-Pilot reporter Sierra Jenkins, 25, and local semi-pro football player Devon Malik Harris, 25.
On April 2, 33-year-old Roosevelt McKinney was shot and killed inside the MacArthur Center Mall. Two others were injured.
Norfolk Police said a 26-year-old man was shot near MacArthur Center Park on April 21.
Now, city and community leaders are taking action.
Norfolk Downtown Civic League President Leila Vann said the civic league asked city leaders for more surveillance cameras in the area, and they delivered.
“They are those portable ones, so you won’t miss them,” Vann said.
Norfolk police said six mobile street cameras are now placed along the Granby Street corridor. Vann hopes to see them spread across the city.
“Let’s start on Granby, yeah, I think they need them on the side streets too,” Vann said.
Police said those cameras are fully operational. Vann said she’s pleased to see more safety measures on the streets.
"We actually believe that the city will step up because they need to, and they realize they need to make it safe downtown because we have a lot to offer,” Vann said.
Texas de Brazil’s cancellation email also said it will post on social media when it’s ready to open somewhere else.
We reached out to Texas de Brazil but have not heard back. The general manager of the MacArthur Center said they have no comment at this time.