WORCESTER, Mass. - Smokestack Urban Barbeque on Green Street is joining the list of restaurants closing in Worcester's Canal District.

They broke the news to customers on Facebook, saying their last day of service is November 19. This now makes six restaurants that have either sold or closed in recent months.

Alex Martin, who is on the board of the Canal District Alliance, said there's a few reasons for the closures, and it all started to get worse when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

Martin said most places have Polar Park next door, but it hasn't helped bring customers through the door. She said the price of food has gone up and it's more expensive for utilities, but the biggest factor is the bad parking options.

"A lot of customers don't want  to come down because of the parking situation," Martin said. "We have limited parking and they don't want to pay for parking. The ballpark has had an impact. We love that the ballpark is here, but a lot of times people don't want to have to come down and go out for dinner and then pay for the parking because of the ball games."

It's not just customers frustrated with parking. Martin said it's also an issue for employees, who get off of work and find a ticket on their car. ​