The long-standing restaurant, located at 2908 Fifth Ave. S., has closed.

On Thursday afternoon crews were on site taking down the large Fazoli’s sign, while workers inside loaded items into a moving truck. Workers confirmed the store was closed, but said they weren’t able to say anything more.

A call to Fazoli’s headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, was not returned as of press time.

The company’s online store locater also lists the Fort Dodge location as closed.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter Crews lower the Fazoli’s sign after unfastening it from its post along Fifth Avenue South. The store is closed, workers at the store confirmed Thursday. Items were being loaded into a large yellow moving truck on the other side of the building.

Fazoli’s in Fort Dodge opened Sept. 12, 1995, and has offered its unlimited breadsticks ever since. It moved into the building that was once Hardee’s Family Restaurant, according to The Messenger’s records.

Single entree prices in 1995 ranged from $2.69 to $3.69.

Construction on a Red Lobster and a Diamond Dave’s restaurant were also ongoing when the Fazoli’s first opened.

Today, the closing comes in spite of the company reporting “extraordinary year-end achievements” for 2017. In a January press release, Fazoli’s said it was developing a total of 15 new restaurants nationwide, and opening five restaurants, most recently in Connecticut, Texas, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“It’s been an incredible year for Fazoli’s as we expanded the brand across the country and our franchisees continued to see increased same-store sales growth,” said Carl Howard, president and chief executive officer of Fazoli’s, in January. “We also invested back into the brand through our multi-million dollar restaurant renovations and the premium enhancements made to our menu.”

Fazoli’s has approximately 220 restaurants in 27 states, the company said. In 1995 the Fort Dodge store was the 136th location to open.

Founded in 1988, Fazoli’s is a privately-owned company.

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Update: “The Fazoli’s restaurant in Fort Dodge has closed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our loyal guests,” the company said in an email to The Messenger Friday. “We are committed to continuing to serve our guests throughout the state of Iowa, and hope to open restaurants in Fort Dodge again in the future.”

No details were given on the reason for the closing.