One of the Hill’s sweetest places to take a date closed its doors this week and didn’t even really say goodbye. Here’s the note we just received from Chez Gaudy’s former manager Gregg Holcomb:
I got a surprise text Wednesday evening saying Chez Gaudy is closing and this is their last night. So, I went in and sure enough they were closing and the 31st was their last night. I spoke to owner Ross McCartney and said that the reason for the closure was just the economic downturn and increased cost of doing business.
I am now at the Knee High Stocking Company, but I was sad to see it go.
We’ll give McCartney a call too see if we can learn more. He is also behind Bleu Bistro and The Buck — we’ll check in on the rest of his Capitol Hill plans.
UPDATE: We spoke with McCartney about his decision and asked him why the closure came so abruptly. He declined to get into specifics but told CHS that a new project is already planned for the space. “The good news that a very nice guy is going to develop a really nice place there,” McCartney said.
McCartney confirmed that it was a simple matter of economics. “We wanted to provide an affordable experience. With rents going the way they are in this city, it made more sense to give somebody else a chance.”
McCartney said the closure of Chez Gaudy won’t impact his other Hill food and drink businesses.
This gets a big :(
…but I’m glad that Bleu and The Buck will keep going. I enjoy/ed all these places, and I’m glad that 2/3rds of them will survive…
April Fools was yesterday! It’s not funny! :(
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
:(
I had no idea. They should have posted something here :(
I will miss you, gaudy.
Seriously, how do you expect to stay in business when you cater to your small circle of friends and you advertise via text message? I’m so shocked at the complete ignorance of Capitol Hill folks on how to open, operate, and maintain a business. “Because I want to and it’s cool” is not a business plan.
der couldn’t have said it better about most capitol hill businesses. But gaudy was a successful little eaterie with an amazing staff. I think the answer to your question lays with the owner. Some owners are just plain lucky. They have a great business that really sustains itself, but they’re just outright nincompoops that don’t know how to handle that success responsibly so they end up ruining the lives of the staff below them.
What the fuck does that have to do with this establishment? You really have no idea what you’re talking about.