Sloppy Mama’s local barbecue has closed its outpost in the Ballston Quarter food hall.

The location closed last week after “operating costs got too high, especially with recent spikes in meat prices,” owner Joe Neuman told ARLnow. “The sales volume just wasn’t there to support operations and we had to cut our losses. “

But Sloppy Mama’s isn’t going anywhere. Its main, autonomous location at 5731 Lee Highway is doing very well, says Neuman.

“We have kept quite busy at our Lee Highway site,” he said, adding that the closure of Ballston Quarter “will allow us to consolidate some staff and operate more efficiently to provide even better barbecue and service.” .

Sloppy Mama’s Ballston and Lee Highway locations opened just a few months apart in 2019. The latter is where meats are actually smoked and cooked, while the mall location was simply a before. – sales station.

In other positive news for barbecue fans, Neuman said the breakfast service on Lee Highway, launched 10 months ago, “is going well” and “is here to stay,” while adding that “we could modify our schedules a little.

For now, Neuman is focused on reopening the restaurant for in-person dining.

“Our number one priority is to open the dining room,” he said. “We’ve done some renovations, so even when Virginia opened, we haven’t been able to open yet – but I think we’ll be able to open it next week.”

“Once we open the dining room and get our feet under us with… we may consider going back to seven days a week,” he added.

An additional goal: a program recently launched by Sloppy Mama’s to provide free meals as a thank you to local teachers. Community members are encouraged to donate to the program, of which the restaurant subsidizes 40% of the costs.

Last fall, the Washington Post class Sloppy Mama’s is the # 9 barbecue grill in the DC area.