Justus Drugstore shut down. Now Black Dirt. Fans hope Jonathan Justus has third act.

Nearly two years after opening south of the Country Club Plaza, Black Dirt has closed.

Owners Jonathan Justus and his wife, Camille Eklof, said they will “move on to new opportunities.”

The investment group that backed Black Dirt — at 5070 Main St. in the 51Main building — said it will announce a new concept and operator for the spot in early 2020. That restaurant will honor any Black Dirt gift certificates that aren’t redeemed this week.

In a statement, Richard Muller, executive vice president of VanTrust Real Estate, landlord for the 51Main building, said: “We were such fans of Black Dirt and Jonathan, we know his next endeavor will be successful and no doubt delicious. We know this space is perfect for a high-quality restaurant concept,” adding that they are excited about the new partnership.

Fans of Black Dirt posted comments on the restaurant’s Facebook page: “Noooo! This makes me incredibly sad. We LOVED , LOVED, LOVED every experience we had there. From the inviting, classy atmosphere to the best food, our favorite server John, & the help they gave me in helping give my daughter & her prom date a great date night dinner, we thank you for it all. Best wishes for whatever is next. We will follow!”

But some Facebook commentators have not been so kind, including one that said, “Hot Chef, closes 2 restaurants?!?”

Justus and Eklof built a strong following from scratch when they opened Justus Drugstore, in Smithville in 2007, “serving homey but sophisticated regional fare,” according to an article in The Star.

“We knew the location was horrible, and we knew we would have to something really strong and different to make it work” Justus said at the time. “Farm-to-table, nose-to-tail, wild foods. That wasn’t happening here.”

It became destination dining, with the restaurant filling up on most nights as it drew customers from the region. Menu items included confit of chicken gizzards, risotto fish sticks, milk braised pork brisket and house tater tots with horseradish dipping sauce.

Justus was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest in 2016.

But his customers clamored for a more accessible venue.

There was a plan to open Universal, a modern American brasserie, in the former Universal Film Exchange at 1700 Wyandotte St., but that plan fell through. They looked at other sites and concepts.

Then, after 2 1/2 years of planning, they signed a lease to put Black Dirt in a 5,000-square-foot prominent corner space with patio in the 51Main building.

It opened in January 2018, with a chandelier made out of the root of a huge hackberry tree and such menu items as Missouri Caesar salad with catfish bites, lamb gnocchi, mussels, and crispy pig tail.

Now many fans hope the couple’s “new opportunities” comment is a sign that the famed Justus Drugstore restaurant will return.

They had temporarily closed it to work on Black Dirt, then got an offer on the Smithville building that was too good to pass up. They put the equipment and furnishings in an underground storage facility, but a fire a year ago in another area of the facility caused extensive smoke damage to “the Drugstore.”

In a statement, Justus said: “Black Dirt has been a fantastic experience for us and we are so grateful for the ongoing support of the Kansas City community. It was a very difficult decision for us to close, but ultimately it was a business decision. We do have exciting plans in the works that we will keep you posted on.”

This story was originally published November 5, 2019 at 5:00 AM.