This bistro in Boise’s North End has closed. Its nearby sister restaurant faces eviction
A French-inspired restaurant with money troubles has closed in the North End.
Bistro d’Helene was in the process of being emptied Tuesday by workers with a U-Haul truck in the Boise Co-op’s parking lot. Opened about a year ago, the restaurant at 808 W. Fort St. recently had faced possible eviction, according to Ada County court records.
Owner La Bonte Brands agreed to pay $15,712.80 plus September rent, and then exit the space by the end of the month with the lease terminated, documents show.
Blocks away, Bistro d’Helene’s sister restaurant, Apericena, also was dark during the lunch hour. Furnishings remained inside the Hyde Park eatery, but owner Danielle Christine Riddle — who goes by Danielle Christine professionally — faces an eviction complaint for failure to pay September rent of $3,907, court records show. She is listed as the founder of La Bonte Brands on its website.
Apericena, which describes itself as “a casual, upscale European restaurant,” debuted in 2022 at 1607 N. 13th St. But its reputation took a hit earlier this year when workers claimed they weren’t being paid, generating media coverage. Former employees picketed outside the business and filed complaints with the Idaho Department of Labor.
A hearing for the Apericena eviction complaint took place Thursday morning at the Ada County Courthouse, but the building’s owner did not have an attorney present, so the judge said a new hearing date would be set.
This story was originally published October 1, 2024 at 3:36 PM.