‘We are devastated’: 41 restaurants that said goodbye to Boise in 2020
The coronavirus deeply scarred the restaurant industry in 2020.
About 17 percent of American restaurants — or 110,000 of them — have closed permanently or long-term since the the pandemic arrived in March, according to the National Restaurant Association. In a letter this month requesting financial aid, the association told Congress that “more than 500,000 restaurants of every business type — franchise, chain and independent — are in an economic free fall.”
The crisis appears to be accelerating in the Boise area. During a three-day span in mid-December, at least four restaurants announced they were closing either permanently or for the winter.
Here’s a roundup of Treasure Valley dining establishments that shuttered in 2020 — plus one bar in a landmark building. They’re in rough, pseudo-chronological order, since dates weren’t always available. Along with permanent situations, a handful of closures intended to be temporary are included.
COVID-19 can’t always be blamed. A few places went out of business before the pandemic. Restaurants come and go. But there’s no denying that anxious Idaho diners chose — and continue to choose — to stay home.
Notice any restaurants missing from this list? Email mdeeds@idahostatesman.com.
Doug’s Burger Den
For nearly three decades, Doug’s Burger Den served breakfast and lunch to Eagle residents at 231 E. State St. But in 2015, founder Doug Corta died of cancer at 47, leaving the business in the hands of his wife, Jacki, and their three daughters — all of whom kept working there. Twenty-seven years to the day from when it opened, Jacki closed the restaurant in January and started a new brand as a life coach and motivational speaker.
K-Fusion
Boise’s Asian restaurant scene took a hit when K-Fusion, 1716 S. Broadway Ave., went dark in early 2020. Despite a six-year run, the Korean barbecue and grill offered no reason for closing — at least not on its (still active) Facebook page. Fortunately, another Korean must-try replaced it April 30: Han’s Chimaek, specializing in Korean fried chicken. Chimaek (pronounced “chee-meck”) is hugely popular in South Korea. “Chi” is Korean for chicken. “Maek” is an abbreviation of “maekju,” meaning beer. Double-fried, flavorful, sweet or spicy — Korean fried chicken is killer tasty.
Ben & Jerry’s
Here’s the scoop: Ben & Jerry’s ran its course. Known for quirky flavors and its annual Free Scoop Day, the chain was a downtown Boise staple for over a decade at 103 N. 10th St. It closed March 1. A note at the historic Gem Noble building explained that Ben & Jerry’s “franchise term was fulfilled, and we have chosen to not renew another 10 years. ... Peace and love.” The space will become Coned Pizza, according to a “coming soon” sign on the door.
Old Chicago
Also prior to the pandemic, nearby Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom closed in the historic Union Block building. It had operated at 730 W. Idaho St. since 1997. The shutdown was “purely a business decision,” according to Josh Kern, chief experience officer at Craftworks Holdings, which owns the national chain. Boise’s other Old Chicago location remains open at Boise Towne Square mall.
The Footbridge Tavern
This Boise Bench bar and grill was one of the first casualties attributed to the pandemic. Located at The Shops at Borah Heights at 6555 W. Overland Road, it lasted just under a year. The Footbridge closed March 19 without the finances to reopen in a socially distanced environment, the owner said. “It sucks. My life savings is gone.” (Instead, she focused on Hello Dinner, her prepared-meal delivery service.) On Nov. 20, the Broken Tap Tavern opened in the former Footbridge space. It has a “pretty darn good” food menu, according to new owner Jeff Wallace.
Taco John’s
Normally, the death of a fast-food restaurant doesn’t hurt too many feelings. But come on, Treasure Valley! We need at least one Taco John’s! The Meridian location at 1410 W. McMillan Road closed March 31. It was replaced by a Gandolfo’s New York Delicatessen. That left the entire state of Idaho with four Taco John’s — the nearest to Boise being in lucky Mountain Home. But, hey, Taco John’s said it would be interested in a local franchisee to develop its new standalone prototype restaurant.
Big Daddy’s BBQ
Along with the rest of the world, Big Daddy’s BBQ shut down operations in early spring because of the pandemic. But its expansion spot at 10659 W. Fairview Ave. in Boise never reopened. Hindered by difficult vehicle access, the large space near Five Mile Road was always a challenge, co-owner Hoss Grigg said. When COVID hit, it “took an absolute beating,” he explained. Big Daddy’s still smokes tasty pulled pork and ribs at 1551 W. Cherry Lane in Meridian. And a Big Daddy’s Meat Wagon serves the Treasure Valley. At some point, Grigg says, Big Daddy’s will try opening a second restaurant again — this time emphasizing takeout over full-service dining.
The Turn
This neighborhood beer bar did not join other Idaho bars in reopening after the initial statewide coronavirus closure. “WITH ALL OUR HEARTS,” co-owner Brad Fahey posted on Facebook, “WE ARE DEVASTATED FOR THIS.” Prior to becoming The Turn in 2019, the building at 4022 W. State St. was a landmark for decades. Boiseans knew it as Turner’s Sportsfair, a fishing tackle shop with a dive bar, Turner’s Cocktails, in the back.
Ha’Penny Bridge Irish Pub
The day before what normally is a huge money-making opportunity — St. Patrick’s Day — Ha’Penny Bridge Irish Pub closed to avoid a crowded house during the pandemic. It never reopened. A downtown Boise staple since 2002, the restaurant and bar at 855 W. Broad St. has been replaced by DeLuca’s fine Italian dining.
Happy Fish Sushi & Martini Bar
When Ha’Penny closed, so did its next-door sister restaurant, Happy Fish. That space is now a takeout-focused lunch counter, DeLuca’s Nook. However, Happy Fish has been reincarnated. It’s now serving tasty rolls inside Bodovino, 404 S. 8th St.
Red Feather Lounge
Opened in 2002 next to Bittercreek Alehouse, this downtown Boise hangout has been shuttered indefinitely at 246 N. 8th St. “Once things get back to normal,” owner Dave Krick said in an email, “we will bring it back.” Meanwhile, Red Feather’s sister restaurants are still serving food and drink. “Bittercreek Alehouse and Diablo & Sons Saloon are both open seven days a week,” Red Feather explains on its website. Red Feather currently is being used for Bittercreek overflow seating.
Rockies Diner
After closing during the initial coronavirus shutdown, this nostalgia-filled Boise Bench landmark never returned. The skates had rolled for more than a quarter-century at 3900 W. Overland Road. The building is slated to become the newest location of 208 Pho & Vegan in 2021.
36th Street Bistro
In May, 36th Street Garden Center and Bistro in Boise announced that it would shutter for good after a liquidation sale. “The financial realities of the COVID-19 pandemic happening at our busiest time of year, coupled with an uncertain future, led us to the decision to close our doors,” a spokesman told the Statesman. “We have been fortunate to have many wonderful customers and guests who have supported us for over a decade.” The restaurant at 3823 N. Garden Center Way opened in 2008.
Paddles Up Poke
An expanding Idaho chain, Paddles Up Poke has locations in downtown Boise, at Boise State, in downtown Nampa, in downtown Ketchum — and another planned at The Village at Meridian. But a franchise location at 13601 W. McMillan Road in Meridian closed in May. Then it quickly reopened as slightly different Poke Vibes, serving similar raw, marinated fish in the same space.
Donut + Dog
This breakfast and lunch spot was “kicking ass” after opening in 2019 at The Village at Meridian, according to its co-owner. Then COVID-19 hit. So the husband-and-wife team shuttered Donut + Dog and replaced it with Sid’s Garage, a lunch and dinner destination. It serves hedonistic hamburgers, mind-blowing milkshakes and craft beers. Watch for Donut + Dog to be reincarnated in 2021 at a still-undisclosed Boise location.
The Modern Bar and Restaurant
Although the Modern Hotel remains open at 1314 W. Grove St. in downtown Boise, the bar and restaurant have been temporarily shuttered since June. “Our kitchen, bar and dining room facilities are very small, enclosed spaces and do not allow for safe social distancing for our bar/restaurant staff members or guests,” owner Elizabeth Tullis explained earlier this year in a text message. “It is currently our goal to be part of the solution, not the problem ... .”
Moss Coffee & Tea
A relatively short-lived endeavor, Moss Coffee & Tea opened its Boise location at 201 N. Orchard St. in 2019 before closing shop this year. It has reopened as The Fix, which serves Herbalife meal-replacement shakes and energy teas. Meanwhile, two Moss Coffee locations remain open in downtown Boise and Eagle.
Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters
Before closing this summer, the downtown Boise shop had operated at the corner of 8th and Bannock streets for about a decade and a half. Over the years, it was a regular stop on First Thursday tours — and for then-Gov. Butch Otter. Headquartered in Spokane, Thomas Hammer Coffee is a regional chain with most of its stores in Washington state. A Cupbop Korean barbecue restaurant plans to open soon in its former Boise space.
Camel’s Crossing
Located in Hyde Park, Camel’s Crossing, 1304 W. Alturas St., was named one of the Idaho Statesman’s best new restaurants of 2017. But shortly after its chef was stricken with COVID-19, the owners closed it in July. Since then, they’ve remodeled and reopened the North End space as Hyde Park Wine Shop — with the same chef and a reduced-size menu.
Juniper
A closure that’s intended to be temporary, Juniper said goodbye on July 5. The downtown restaurant and bar at 211 N. 8th St. will reopen when Boise “moves into Phase 4 of reopening,” according to its website.
Skippers Seafood & Chowder
Forty-four years after the first one opened in Idaho, the last remaining Skippers in the Gem State shuttered at 5588 W. Fairview Ave. There was no official reason provided, but the seafood chain’s Boise location did not appear to have been booming in recent times.
Orphan Annie’s
After serving Caldwell for decades, this golf-themed restaurant at 801 Everett St. bid farewell in July. Part sports bar, part neighborhood watering hole, Orphan Annie’s opened in 1995, according to an old Idaho Press-Tribune restaurant review. It was rebuilt in 1999 after being gutted by a fire. Any business struggles related to the pandemic were not mentioned in a goodbye message. “We are looking forward to our retirement,” the owners wrote on Facebook. “Thank you for the wonderful memories.” The building has reopened as a local Italian restaurant, Ragazza Di Bufalo, which also has a location in Donnelly.
Deathproof Coffee
Shuttering in March because of the virus, this strip-mall coffee shop and music venue at 10481 W. Fairview Ave. initially indicated that the situation was temporary. But Deathproof pulled the plug permanently in July, “with great sadness,” it wrote on social media. It had opened in summer 2018.
Regal Beaver
This all-ages concert venue and restaurant closed in summer at 160 N. 8th St. in downtown Boise. It was a casualty of the pandemic, owner Russ Crawforth said. Before it began its short run in late 2019, the space was Donut Daze. Now it’s Little Pearl Oyster Bar, which opened in October. Former New York City chef Cal Elliott serves classic oyster delicacies, cheese and charcuterie boards, salads, seafood dishes, chicken, a gourmet burger and steak frites.
Room & Boards
After rolling the dice for about a year, this Boise board-game cafe found that the virus doesn’t play fair. With social distancing in place, Room & Boards could fit only about a dozen customers inside, the owner said. He closed it in August at 12598 W. Fairview Ave.
Top Wok
Top Wok, 12375 W. Chinden Blvd., closed at BRC Plaza — taking its six-page menu and two decades of memories with it. The Mandarin-style Chinese restaurant had been a West Boise staple since the late 1990s. Fear not, Asian food fans. Boise Thai Noodle House plans to open in that space in early 2021.
Tasso
This downtown Boise sandwich shop at 401 S. 8th St. closed in September, indicating that it was moving. “We are temporarily closed while we await construction on our new downtown location,” Tasso posted on Facebook more than three months ago. “Stay tuned and we’ll see you soon.”
Txikiteo
Another temporary closure, Txikiteo, 175 N. 14th St., pulled the plug Nov. 1 — after patio season ended. It plans to reopen in April. “This was a hard decision to make, but the health and safety of our guests, staff, and community is our most important value, and we simply can’t guarantee that if we have to move indoors,” the tavern wrote on its website, adding “we just don’t have the space.”
Grinkers Grand Palace
A sprawling arcade at 228 E. Plaza Drive, Grinkers closed permanently in September after nearly eight years in Eagle. Initially, there was hope that its tasty sandwich menu would be reborn at a new Eagle restaurant. But that plan quickly was abandoned; the restaurant never materialized.
Blue Toro
A bull-themed Mexican eatery at 600 S. Rivershore Lane in Eagle, Blue Toro opened in summer 2019. Owner Brandt Casey made the “heartbreaking” decision to close the restaurant permanently in October 2020, he said. “We were open eight months, I think, before the pandemic hit. So we were just finding our stride.” Casey remains general manager at the longtime family business Cafe Ole, which has restaurants at 210 N. Milwaukee St. near Boise Towne Square and at 284 E. Pine Ave. in Meridian.
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe
This one is supposed to be temporary. Taziki’s opened at 505 W. Idaho St. days before the pandemic arrived in March. In November, it announced its closure in downtown Boise. “This is not a goodbye, just a see ya later!” Taziki’s wrote on Facebook. “Our Eagle location will remain open seven days a week for dine in, takeout, and catering.”
Good Burger
This fast-growing, Boise-based chain has been a recent local success story. But downtown Boise was hit hard by the coronavirus. So in November, Good Burger shuttered its flagship location at 1003 W. Main St. in the Kount building. Good Burger plans to open a Boise drive-thru instead, the owner said. Other Good Burgers are at 7610 W. State St.; at the Boise Towne Square Mall food court; at Chow Public Market at the Boise Spectrum; and at 3143 E. Magic View Drive in Meridian. Good Burger also operates four Utah locations.
McGrath’s Fish House
When McGrath’s Fish House opened in 1998 at 1749 S. Cole Road, it was a big deal for the Boise Spectrum. Twenty-two years later, the Salem, Oregon-based seafood chain shut it down. “Our lease has expired, so we’re forced to close our Boise restaurant,” a note on the door said. An online auction in December was held to help clear out the kitchen equipment, furnishings and fish-related decor. That included everything from a 9-foot mounted marlin to a cool “Lucky Peak Bait Shop” sign.
The Original Sunrise Cafe
“Serving bliss on a plate since 1988,” this local, family-friendly chain is a Treasure Valley breakfast and lunch tradition. Sadly, the longtime Boise location at 7135 W. State St. never fully bounced back after the spring coronavirus shutdown. After reopening around the end of the summer, it closed again Dec. 6 until further notice. “I will definitely reopen it, but it won’t be until probably March or April,” owner Boomer Godsill said. Meanwhile, Sunrise Cafes remain open in Boise at 6767 W. Fairview Ave. and 4218 W. Overland Road, in Meridian at 805 W. Main St. and 2032 E. Overland Road, and in Middleton at 200 E. Main St.
Sun Ray Cafe
A popular patio destination in Boise’s Hyde Park, the Sun Ray recently announced that it was shuttering temporarily at 1602 N. 13th St. “So it is with sad hearts that we have had to make a tough decision. We are going to be closing for the remainder of the year as business has gotten to the level of being too slow to make it worth even turning on the ovens right now. Let’s see how it goes next year because ‘stick a fork in us 2020, we’re done.’ “
Kiwi Shake & Bake
After a two-year run, this bakery and cafe permanently shuttered Dec. 20 on the street level of The Afton condos at 611 S. 8th St. It served traditional Kiwi meat pies, mousetraps, cakes and soup, plus milkshakes, coffee, beer and wine. Co-owner Katie Munro, who was born in England, lived in New Zealand for 12 years before relocating to Boise with her husband, Chris, a native New Zealander. Now focusing on their wholesale brand, Pie-O-Neer Pies, they plan to offer meat pies from a small kiosk at their commercial kitchen on State Street.
El Gallo Giro
A Treasure Valley fixture since 1997, this family-owned Mexican chain opened a downtown Boise location at 615 W. Main St. in 2016. But in a recent message to customers, they explained that it was time to call it quits: “Due to the pandemic and our lease expiring, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure ... effective Dec. 23.” El Gallo Giro continues to operate restaurants at 1435 N. Eagle Road in Meridian and at 5285 N. Glenwood St. in Garden City.
Caffe Luciano’s
It might not be permanent, but Caffe Luciano’s, 3588 N. Pospect Way in Garden City, shuttered Dec. 20 — for at least a few months. The decision was made because of the cold weather and COVID-19, Caffe Luciano’s explained on Facebook. The restaurant is nestled next to the Boise River, where customers enjoy a patio along the Greenbelt. The closure is for the winter, Caffe Luciano’s indicated. But the general manager told the Statesman that the timing isn’t certain: “We aren’t committing 100-percent right now on a guaranteed reopen.” Either way, the Italian restaurant’s other location, at 11 N. Orchard St. in Boise, remains open.
Matlack’s
Another temporary closure, Matlack’s public house and “beergarten” recently decided to pull the plug for the winter. It had opened in February in the former PreFunk beer bar space at 1100 W. Front St. “This is definitely not the end of Matlack’s,” the restaurant promised on Facebook, “and we look forward to the day when we can all gather safely and just have fun again.”
The Dutch Goose
After 27 years, the bar and restaurant at 3515 W. State St. closed Dec. 30. “It’s been a great ride, Boise!” the Dutch Goose wrote on its Facebook page. A new owner plans to open at the building in April.
Petite 4
This coming shutdown also is intended to be temporary. French-inspired bistro Petite 4 quickly earned a loyal following and critical acclaim after opening in 2018. But the cozy restaurant at 4 N. Latah St. plans to close at the end of 2020 for a few months. Owners Sarah and Dave “DK” Kelly made the announcement in a message to customers indicating they want to reassess the business. “We hope to have Petite 4 Part Deux in the near future,” they added. Prior to opening Petite 4, the couple ran Bleubird, a popular sandwich shop in downtown Boise.
This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM.