Iconic restaurant closing after successful 10-year run | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

The past five years have been exceptionally tough for restaurants.

In 2020, the restaurant industry on a whole got battered when Americans were told not to leave their houses unless it was absolutely urgent. Many dining establishments closed their doors in the wake of the pandemic. And even restaurants that managed to survive had a rough go afterward.

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Once social distancing orders were lifted, supply chains started slowing down. Many restaurants, when unable to source the ingredients they relied on, had to make menu changes. And in some cases, that meant losing customers.

Those supply chain issues eventually worked themselves out. But from there, restaurants found themselves battling rising food and labor costs. And to this day, many are struggling with extremely tight margins.

Making matters worse, consumer habits have changed in the past few years in light of lingering inflation.

Given the choice between dining out at a local favorite or paying utility bills for the month, consumers are generally opting for the latter. And restaurants are rapidly losing business because of it.

Iconic restaurant to close after 10 successful years.

Image source&colon; Shutterstock

Restaurant have been struggling to keep the doors open

In recent years, a number of major restaurant chains have succumbed to the impact of soaring inflation. And several had no choice but to file for bankruptcy.

Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 in May of 2024. The chain had been losing customers for years, and things eventually came to a head.

Italian chain Buca di Beppo filed for bankruptcy in August of 2024. The company blamed its financial struggles on rising costs.

That same month, World of Beer filed for bankruptcy, citing a slow return to pre-pandemic dining habits.

And in November 2024, TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy. The company said it had lost many customers to competing fast casual chains and was struggling financially as a result.

An acclaimed local restaurant makes plans to shutter for good

Seattle has long been praised for its inventive restaurant scene. And now, a local favorite has announced plans to wrap up operations after 10 successful years.

Eden Hill, an innovative restaurant in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood, is known for its unique dishes and tasting menus. Fans of the boutique restaurant have long enjoyed its sophisticated fair and creative cocktails.

Now, the restaurant, which has long been hailed for its whimsical dishes, is closing up shop for a variety of reasons.

Owner Maximillian Petty was just 25 years old when Eden Hill opened in 2015. In 2016, 2017, and 2018, Petty became a semifinalist in the James Beard Award “Rising Star Chef of the Year” category.

When asked why Eden Hill would be closing its doors after such a successful run, Petty said, “It just got progressively more difficult.” And much of that difficulty boiled down to money, or a lack thereof.

Just as consumers have been cutting back on casual dining to conserve funds, so too have they reduced their upscale dining spending. That’s made it harder for establishments like Eden Hill to hang on.

Petty also cited personal reasons as a driver of the decision to close Eden Hill.

“We haven’t had the 14 hours a day to dedicate to this restaurant like we used to for years now,” he said.

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Eden Hill is slated to close on September 4, in conjunction with its 10-year anniversary.

While fans of Eden Hill are sad to see it go, the good news is that they still have a few more months to savor the restaurant’s eclectic menu, including its famed crispy pig head “candy bar” — a dish that’s received its share of accolades since it was first introduced.