Owners of new Woodstock restaurant get candid about struggle to stay afloat, but ‘we’re not giving up’

Operators of a restaurant that opened in Woodstock in late 2023 are being candid about the struggles they’re experiencing to try to stay in business.

Proprietors of Duke’s Inferno, an eco-conscious wood-fired pizza parlor in Woodstock, said they haven’t been seeing as many customers as they need to be viable.

The eatery, owned by the same people as Duke’s Alehouse in downtown Crystal Lake, opened its doors in November at 11671 Catalpa Lane. The restaurant offers a variety of salads, pizzas and sandwiches, among other things. The menu also lists some of the local farmers and vendors that make the foods used at the eatery.

Recently, the restaurant operators sent out an appeal to patrons that subsequently was shared on social media. In the announcement, the Duke’s Inferno team said they had “yet to achieve the necessary sales to ensure long-term success.”

“Perhaps our initial expectations were overly optimistic, or Duke’s Inferno isn’t the the perfect fit for Woodstock that we envisioned,” the note to patrons reads. “However, we’re not giving up. We’re reaching out to you, our valued guests, to help spread the word about Duke’s Inferno. Your personal recommendations to friends, family, and colleagues are invaluable.”

Owner Zak Dolezal told the Northwest Herald that “I think we just needed to reignite” and remind people who and where they are. The restaurant is visible, but not directly accessible, from Route 14. “Being in a weird location has been a struggle.”

Duke’s Inferno has placed an emphasis on being environmentally friendly, including using local ingredients and running the pizza oven on renewable fuel. Dolezal recognized that was a difficult business model to run, in part because of availability.

Dolezal said people might think buying local is cheaper when, in fact, “we pay more for food.”

In its appeal to patrons, the restaurant offered discounts for people who made reservations between Aug. 14 to 18. During the discount period, Dolezal said the restaurant had about double its usual reservations and it was “the single busiest week we’ve had since we’ve opened.”

However, Dolezal said the restaurant still needs more business and was hoping it would bump up weekly average sales.

“We’re still nervous,” Dolezal said, adding that people can help by coming in more often. He encouraged people to let staff know if it wasn’t up to par, as he said Duke’s Inferno takes its feedback seriously.

Duke’s Inferno is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For information about Duke’s Inferno, visit dukesinferno.com.