John Rivers’ Winter Park restaurant The Coop is set to close Sunday.

The Southern restaurant, 610 W. Morse Blvd., revealed the closure on Facebook Monday, citing higher rents, a growing problem for Orlando restaurants and retailers.

“A testament to the vibrancy of the Winter Park market, current market rates are unfortunately well beyond what our little business can justify in renewing the lease,” the Facebook post signed by Rivers said.

The average asking rental rate price in Orlando shopping centers for the first three months of this year was up 4.4% over six months ago, according to a report from JLL. Typically, rents will go up just 2% to 3% over an entire year,  said Justin Greider, a senior vice president and Florida retail lead at real estate firm JLL.

Cupcake shop Sweet by Holly closed its Waterford Lakes store last month, also citing an anticipated rent spike.

Rising Orlando shopping center rents squeeze small businesses

Rivers, founder of the Winter Park-based 4 Rivers Smokehouse chain, opened The Coop in 2014. 

The Coop served Southern dishes including fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, and biscuits and sausage gravy.

The Facebook post said some presence from The Coop would persist.

“The Coop brand will continue in the many venues it’s currently served throughout Orlando; who knows, perhaps God will lead us to other restaurant locations in the future,” the post said.