As a mainstay Martha’s Vineyard nightspot with a year-round liquor license, the Ritz Cafe usually waits until late winter to close its doors for a few weeks of annual maintenance.

But following Tuesday’s approval from the Oak Bluffs board of selectmen, owner Larkin Stallings will be permitted to shutter his Circuit avenue establishment Jan. 1, with plans to reopen March 9.

“We started losing money a couple months ago. We certainly have enough to get through if we couldn’t close but I’d rather spend it on paint, the floors and other stuff like that,” Mr. Stallings said.

Mr. Stallings told the board he is down to two year-round employees at the Ritz. “We are currently losing staff to Florida in droves,” he said.

Employees who have temporarily relocated to Florida have made commitments to him that they will return by the end of March, Mr. Stallings said.

This is the second time in recent weeks that Oak Bluffs selectmen have allowed a restaurant with a year-round license to close during the winter. Last month, the board agreed to put the Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company’s liquor license on hold until spring after owner J.B. Blau said strict pandemic dining rules prevent him from doing business at his all-indoor eatery.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, selectmen appointed Joseph Sollitto as the Oak Bluffs representative to the Steamship Authority port council and Rizwan Malik as representative to the MV Cultural Council.