10 independent restaurants that did not survive 2020
By Heather Lalley on Dec. 21, 2020An unprecedented number of independent restaurants have closed in 2020.
Some of the more than 110,000 estimated closures were quiet neighborhood places that rarely made headlines. Others were iconic, well-known spots that had survived for generations. Some were among many shuttered restaurants in big cities; others were rare dining establishments in small towns.
All were important to their communities and represented the literal blood, sweat and tears of their owners and chefs.
Restaurant Business has been chronicling the closures of these independent restaurants since the start of the pandemic. Here’s a look back at some of the most notable neighborhood restaurants that shuttered in 2020:
Shady Grove, Austin
After nearly three decades in Austin, Shady Grove said it could not survive the pandemic. The restaurant, started by the founders of Chuy’s, is known for its comfort food and long-running live music series.
“After 28 years of great food, amazing music and memories that will last a lifetime, our time on Barton Springs Road has come to an end,” the restaurant posted on Facebook in May. “This closure has had a profound effect on all of us but none more than the amazing employees at Shady Grove. Please know that we are doing everything we can to care for these wonderful people as we all mourn the loss of one of our favorite places in Austin.”
Pok Pok; Portland, Ore.
Portland, Ore.-based Thai restaurant group Pok Pok will close most of its restaurants, chef-owner Andy Ricker announced in June.
Several Pok Pok units in Portland will close, though the original location “may have a chance of reopening,” Ricker said on Instagram.
“The economic reality is that we simply cannot afford to reopen these locations, given the fact that 1) it is unsafe for workers in a city, state and country with no cohesive plan for testing and tracing COVID-19 cases, no mandatory mask policy for the public, no vaccine and no treatment,” Riker wrote, further noting that reduced capacity and the high cost of reopening a restaurant also factored into his decision.
Muddy Waters, Minneapolis
Minneapolis bar and eatery Muddy Waters, which started out as a coffee shop in 1987, said it cannot weather the pandemic.
A heartfelt Facebook post from the restaurant’s owners in May drew hundreds of responses from saddened customers, expressing how important the spot was in their lives.
“We are heartbroken, but resolute in the knowledge that Muddy Waters is not, and cannot, be a place,” the owners wrote. “Muddy Waters is people. And these people? Still here. You’ll find them all over town, still practicing radical empathy and clear-eyed but pragmatic hope for what we face in this moment.”
Bill Spoon’s BBQ; Charlotte, N.C.
After 57 years in Charlotte, N.C., Bill Spoon’s BBQ said in September that it could no longer stay in business due to COVID.
“It was an emotional day, to say the least,” the restaurant’s owner, the grandson of the founder, shared on Facebook. “We are utterly heartbroken. We stayed until after 8p.m. last night, reminiscing of the memories we’ve made within the 4 walls of this building. I’m not going to lie, we all broke down in tears.”
Cliff House, San Francisco
The Cliff House, which had been part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area since 1977, announced its closure earlier this month, citing a failure to come to a lease agreement and the pandemic’s impact on sales. The Cliff House first began operating in 1863, during the Civil War, and was nearly destroyed by a dynamite explosion in 1887. It was, in fact, demolished by fire seven years later before being rebuilt.
Tannersville Inn; Tannersville, Pa.
The Tannersville Inn, which has operated in the Pocono Mountains for nearly 175 years, will not be able to survive the effects of the pandemic. The restaurant first opened as The Tannersville Hotel in 1847, according to local media reports, and was a popular tourist stop that served American comfort foods.
“Sadly, the Inn will not be able to reopen its doors to the public,” the owners posted on Facebook in June. “With continuing restrictions limiting capacity including bar service, entertainment, groups and parties for birthdays, showers, rehearsals and more, there is no clear path to the bottom line let alone recover losses suffered to date.”
The Mermaid Inn, New York City
The original location of The Mermaid Inn, in New York’s East Village, said in August it could not reach a rent deal with its landlord and would be forced to close. It operated in the spot for more than 17 years.
The restaurant was known for its happy hour deals, as well as its crab cakes and lobster rolls.
“We had never figured out, for The Mermaid, how to make that food travel well,” co-owner Danny Abrams told Restaurant Business. “If you were not doing delivery before the pandemic, you’re not getting any traction.”
The Riddler, San Francisco and New York City
Champagne-and-small bites bar The Riddler closed its two locations, one in San Francisco and one in New York City’s West Village, in August. The bars prided themselves on supporting women. They were run by women, backed by more than 50 female investors, and frequently partnered with women winemakers and other artisans. In recent months, the bars worked with landlords to reduce rents and received federal aid to stay afloat. It was not enough. The Riddler is liquidating its wine and Champagne inventory and will work with an auction house this fall to sell off its crystal glassware, custom brass fixtures, silver Champagne buckets and more.
“Unfortunately, we were losing more than we could sustain,” The Riddler’s owners wrote in an email to customers. “We restaurant owners are optimists. We’re risk takers. We see opportunities where many others do not. We’re flexible, we pivot easily. We have countless ideas of new ways we can extend our brands … Unfortunately, even with our support system, we simply can’t make the numbers work.”
Foodlife, Chicago
Lettuce Entertainment Enterprises’ Foodlife, one of the country’s first food halls, announced in June that it would close after 27 years in the Water Tower Place shopping mall. Foodlife featured more than a dozen food stations and was innovative in issuing consumers a “credit card” upon entry to track purchases from multiple vendors.
Le Bistro Montage; Portland, Ore.
Quirky neighborhood Cajun and Creole spot Le Bistro Montage, known for its aluminum foil sculptures for leftovers, announced its closure in July after operating for 27 years.
“We depart with the special feeling that most Portlanders have a memorable Montage story—whether it was a first date or the last stop after a night on the town,” the restaurant wrote on social media.
One of the restaurant’s chefs has taken some of the concept’s favorite dishes, adapted them for to-go service, and is selling them out of the Montage ala Cart food truck.