Walkerton, Indiana—population about 2,200—found itself in the national spotlight in 2015 when its owners publicly stated they’d refuse to cater gay weddings, a stance protected under the Mike Pence-orchestrated Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Now, that business—too aptly named Memories Pizza—has closed, The Indianapolis Star reports.
It’s unclear whether the shuttering is a result of the owners’ anti-gay-marriage stance. In the months following their public declaration, the pizzeria was the subject of both threats and support; after it closed briefly due to safety concerns, the pizzeria was the subject of an $800,000 GoFundMe campaign in its support, according to the Star. It could be that the couple who owned Memories—Crystal and Kevin O’Connor—retired to Barbados, or want to move their business, or are taking time to weigh their memoir options. Or it could be that the O’Connor’s declaration that they’d never cater a gay wedding—though they said they wouldn’t refuse service to a customer on the basis of sexual orientation—ultimately did have a slow, dampening effect on business.
The reasons are unknown, as the O’Connor’s were not reachable by the paper for comment. Has anyone asked Pence whether he has their cell number?