Bob and Mickey Angell opened their restaurant at One Capital Plaza, located at 9th and Main streets, in 1981, the same summer they got married.

Bob Angell sold it to general manager Curt Knipe in 1997. When the economy turned a few years ago and competition heated up, with Chandlers Steakhouse opening a block away, the restaurant struggled. The Angells took back controlling interest in 2009 and gave the place a face-lift. At the time, Bob Angell said he wasn't ready to give up on the place, and he wanted to keep his employees working during tough times.

Now Angell, 74, is ready to let his baby go. The couple spend time at their homes in Sun Valley and Mexico and are rarely in Boise.

“Mickey and I, last summer, made the decision to simplify our lives by eliminating investments which took time away from our family and our lives,” Angell wrote in an email to the Statesman on Friday.

SALE STILL SOUGHT

The restaurant has been for sale since October. Several offers have come in, but none has led to a transaction. The place will continue to be on the market after Jan. 31.

“We will continue to pursue a sale of the assets, if at all possible, with the hopes of providing some future opportunity for our employees,” Angell said.

Angell’s has about 35 employees among its wait, bar, host and kitchen staffs.

GOING-AWAY PARTY

Knipe said he and Angell — longtime friends — wanted to give their customers notice and time to use gift cards, and time for one last Cantonese Chicken Salad. (Knipe now has the rights to Angell’s Cantonese dressing and plans to bottle and sell it.) On Jan. 26, regular Angell’s performers Tauge & Faulkner will start playing at 7 p.m. for a going-away soiree.

If you want to dine at Angell’s, call 342-4900 or make a reservation at AngellsBarAndGrill.com.

LOTS OF MEMORIES

Like any long-standing restaurant, Angell’s has been part of people’s lives. Knipe, who worked at Angell’s for nearly 30 years, met his wife, Lori, while they both worked there.

“Lots of people met and fell in love here,” Knipe said.

Said Angell: “We cannot express how much the customer base and employees have meant to us. It was fun while it lasted, but life does move on.”

If you have an Angell’s memory, post it in the comments section of this story at IdahoStatesman.com.

Dana Oland: 377-6442