30 Popular Restaurants That Won’t Reopen After the Pandemic

“We are sad to announce this chapter has come to an end,” wrote the proprietors of this 20-year-old Mexican standby in Chandler, southeast of Phoenix, on the restaurant’s Facebook page last month. They left open the possibility of reviving the place in a new home in the future. Meanwhile, they continue to operate three other establishments, one each in Chandler, Mesa, and Phoenix.

After 46 years serving seafood dinners and a popular brunch on Tomales Bay in Marin County, this establishment called it quits as of May 31. The owners cited a substantial rent hike, on top of the financial difficulties imposed by the lockdown, as making it impossible to continue.

An upscale 170-seat Chinese restaurant, which cost a reported $7 million to build, Hakkasan closed permanently in late May after eight years of serving black cod with Champagne and honey, black truffle duck, and other luxurious specialties. The decision was made “To preserve the long-term stability of our business,” according to a company statement given to the San Francisco Chronicle. There are 11 other outposts of the chain — three more in the U.S., two in London, and one each in six other cities in Asia and the Middle East. Some others might not reopen, but details haven’t been confirmed.

The original Pacific Dining Car in downtown L.A., founded in 1921 and probably the city’s best-known steakhouse, spawned this Westside location in 1990. Serving 24 hours a day until the coronavirus lockdown, it was considered a Santa Monica essential. The owners say that the combination of the pandemic crisis and curfews imposed during the recent Black Lives Matter protests made it untenable for the restaurant to reopen.

This 3-year-old establishment, described by the Denver Post as “a small-plates restaurant that would be considered upscale to many diners,” announced in late May that it simply wasn’t big enough to reopen under the strictures likely to remain in place for some time. A press release issued by the proprietor of the 40-seat eatery explained that “It would be incredibly difficult to social distance appropriately in that space, even with the patio.”

The socially conscious Firebox, a farm-to-table restaurant opened in 2007 by the Melville Charitable Trust with a mission that included bringing “jobs, investment, and opportunity to the community,” will not be reopening. “It has become clear that we are simply unable to sustain the restaurant in its current form going forward,” according to a statement issued by Firebox representatives in early June.

After 46 years in business in this Atlanta suburb, Anne and Bill’s — known for its meat-and-three menu (various meats served with a variety of side dishes), its breakfasts, and its homemade desserts — is going out of business. A statement from the restaurant in mid-May said that “our sales have dropped so low that we cannot continue to operate….”

Until mid-May, legendary Chicago Bears coach and player Mike Ditka was a partner in five Ditka’s restaurants — three in the Chicago area and one each in Pittsburgh and Phoenix. Now, after almost a quarter of a century in business, the original Ditka’s, in Chicago’s Tremont Hotel, has shut down. A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page announced that “We have made the extremely difficult decision to close…due to the economic impact of COVID-19 and the short term left on our lease.”

An offshoot of an upscale Los Angeles-based Japanese restaurant with a celebrity clientele opened in Chicago three years ago, specializing in creative sushi offerings and top-of-the-line wagyu beef cooked on charcoal imported from Japan. The group that owns Katana (in addition to L.A., there is another location in Dubai) announced in mid-May that it would not be reopening.

State rules for social distancing have spelled the end for this popular steakhouse, opened in 2011. Co-owner Kevin Joseph told Waterville’s Morning Sentinel that he felt unable to safely seat more than 40 people at the most, and that “Operating at this limited capacity we would not be able to generate enough revenue to pay the bills.”

Opened as a coffee shop in 1994, this place evolved into a popular bar and restaurant

serving she-crab soup, grilled branzino, Moroccan lamb burgers, and other American and international fare. In mid-May, the owners announced that City Café wouldn’t reopen when state dining restrictions were lifted, adding in an Instagram post that “It breaks our hearts to say farewell….”

Famed French chef-restaurateur Daniel Boulud announced in mid-June that he was closing down his sole Boston property, located in the Mandarin Oriental Boston hotel. An official statement reported that the restaurant, which opened in 2014, was a victim of the pandemic, which had a “negative impact on business levels….”

Known for its Italian specialties and its commanding views of the Charles River, this 15-year-old establishment in Cambridge’s Royal Sonesta Boston hotel announced its permanent closing in mid-May. While the owners didn’t specifically blame the coronavirus crisis for its demise, their statement on the restaurant’s website read in part “When you are able to support your local restaurant — safely — do so with an open heart and a big smile….And that’s what’s going to get us all through this.”

After 50 years in business, Markovski’s, famous for its stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, and other Polish specialties, has said goodbye. In a statement on Facebook, the proprietors declared that “A worldwide pandemic was the only thing that could separate our tightly knit family [and] if you were here, you were definitely family.”

Opened as a coffee shop in 1987 and growing into a popular gastropub, this Twin Cities favorite announced its permanent shuttering in early May. “We want to thank [M]inneapolis for loving us so long,” read a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “We will miss Muddys forever.”

The Venetian and Palazzo hotel and casino complex has reopened, but one of its restaurants, the 12-year-old Morels, is not following suit. “Unfortunately,” the owners told Eater Vegas, “these uncertain economic times brought on by COVID-19 has made it impossible to survive as an independent restaurant operator in a hotel with an estimated occupancy less than 50 percent for the foreseeable future.”

“COVID-19 has caused huge financial damage to our business,” read a notice posted in the window of this Turkish restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. “In this current situation we are not able to keep our common home alive.” The statement also noted that the place had been unable to extend its lease. “It has been a great 20+ years,” the letter continued. “We wish we could be able to say GoodBye in different ways.”

A sign in the window of this well-loved Michelin-starred sushi bar near Manhattan’s Cooper Square, posted in mid-May, announced an “open house sale” of kitchen goods, appliances, and equipment, as well as wine “for cheap.” In 2018, Jewel Bako’s owners opened a chef’s counter place next door called Restaurant Ukiyo, which also won a Michelin star. A statement on the Ukiyo website announced officially that both establishments have closed for good.

Noted Boston chef-restaurateurs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette have permanently closed the once-bustling Manhattan location of this tapas restaurant, opened in 2013. The original Boston restaurant and a location in Dubai remain in business. “Toro NYC has come to the end of our journey,” reads a statement on the restaurant’s Instagram page, “and the staff will not have a restaurant home to come back to when this pandemic ends.”

Opened 10 years ago in Raleigh’s Cameron Village shopping center, this restaurant, specializing in “great American cuisine,” has made (according to its website) “the difficult decision to permanently close, effective immediately.” A sister restaurant in Raleigh, Edwards Mill Bar and Grill, will remain open.

A Cajun-Creole place opened in 2007 in this coastal town in the northwestern corner of the state, Sweet Basil’s has extended its temporary closure into a permanent one. Social distancing requirements, says co-owner John Sowa, would have allowed him to fill three or four tables at the most — which, he adds, “doesn’t cut it.” Sowa plans to take the executive chef job at Silver Salmon Grille in Astoria, just up the coast, where he will add some of his Louisiana specialties to the menu.

Restaurateur David Machado announced that he is permanently closing this, his oldest Portland restaurant, opened in 2009 — as well as four other restaurants and bars he runs in the city. Machado told Portland Eater that he anticipated increased costs due to new sanitation and social distancing measures and feared that revenue would decrease 50% to 70%. He is also concerned that if he did reopen all or some of his places, a spike in COVID-19 cases could force him to shutter a second time, and “I could not bear to go through layoffs again.”

James Beard Award-winning chef-restaurateur Andy Ricker, whose Pok Pok restaurant group specializes in northern Thai and Vietnamese cooking, announced on Instagram in mid-June that he was closing four of his six Portland locations. The shuttered restaurants include Pok Pok NW, Whiskey Soda Lounge, and two outposts of Pok Pok Wing. A third Pok Pok Wing might reopen, and Ricker’s original Pok Pok will remain.

Described by the Morning Call as “An Allentown landmark restaurant where generations of families gathered for barbecue, banana splits, milkshakes and more,” the Ritz grew out of a fairgrounds stand established in 1927 and moved to its present site 10 years later. The current owners, Jeff and Grace Stinner, who took over in 1981, announced in mid-June that they would not reopen. Though the restaurant had been for sale since 2019, Grace stressed to the Morning Call that the pandemic is to blame for their recent decision. “We did want to stay open until someone else took over,” she said, “but that’s not feasible now.”

This 15-year-old Old City establishment — whose mission statement reads “Our emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients is based on our support for sustainable agriculture & to the growing demand for healthy, creative cuisine” — has called it a day. “It is with a sad heart and with deepest regrets,” read a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page in mid-May, “that FARMiCiA Restaurant will be permanently closing its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.”

The Green Pheasant, an izakaya (Japanese bar food) place named Best New Restaurant of 2019 by Nashville Scene, announced in early June that it would not be reopening. Chef Jessica Benefield told the Scene that the pandemic struck the restaurant with “a triple whammy” — meaning that the combination of the downturn in tourism, the cancellation of shows at Ascend Amphitheater across the street, and the fact that more people are working from home instead of in local offices made it unlikely that the izakaya could survive.

A pioneer of Houston’s food truck scene that grew into a brick-and-mortar restaurant mini-chain, Bernie’s announced that it was going out of business as of May 31. Its four Houston area locations — in Bellaire, Missouri City, Katy, and Houston Heights — have been felled by what owner Justin Turner told Eater Houston was a combination of “accumulating debt, decreased sales, and the rising cost of doing business” in the face of the pandemic.

Known for its zucchini muffins, chicken-fried steak, homemade pies, and other comfort food, this community favorite, opened in 1925, will not reopen. Addressing its customers, a statement on the restaurant website said “We would love to have a farewell event to honor you and our faithful employees, but due to the current restrictions, we won’t be able to do so.” The statement left open the possibility that the place might be revived in the future, adding “So, making no promises — but who knows? Zucchini Muffins may one day make a comeback!”

A 19-year-old French bistro in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Montmartre has shut down for good. Chef Stephane Lezla worries that even with restaurants reopening, the dining-out experience won’t be the same and enough customers might not want to return. He told Eater Washington D.C. that he thinks closing was the right decision. “People need to realize it’s a matter of life, not money,” he said.

A popular family dining destination since 1938 in this city on Lake Winnebago in eastern Wisconsin, Schreiner’s announced in late May that it was closing its doors. The decision not to reopen, according to a statement on the restaurant website, “was not one that we made easily; unfortunately, it was unavoidable and our only real option given the economics associated with the current pandemic crisis.”