‘BoDo’s not dying,’ despite another Boise restaurant closure in rash of bad news
Before Jeremy Aevermann theorizes about restaurants closing in his neck of the woods, he thinks out loud.
“I’d like to try to make this sound like BoDo’s not dying,” explains Aevermann, owner of Liquid Lounge and Solid Grill and Bar, 405 S. 8th St.
“But,” he quips, “... I’m not trying to sound like a turd.”
Aevermann knows what Boiseans must be thinking.
Adding to closures plaguing the area centered at 8th and Broad streets, El Tejano Tex-Mex just went dark. Located at 855 W. Broad St. — next door to the Knitting Factory Concert House and directly across from Liquid and Solid — El Tejano opened last October.
A Mexican restaurant and bar, El Tejano is owned by Los Angeles-based Knitting Factory Entertainment. Messages to Morgan Margolis, CEO and president of Knitting Factory, were not returned.
‘Everybody’s struggling a little’
El Tejano’s closure is the latest in a series of dire news in the BoDo district. After two decades, anchor restaurant P.F. Chang’s is on the way out at 391 S. 8th St. The large, 6,980-square-foot space is available for lease. Kichii Sushi & Spirits said goodbye last Saturday after a year at 404 S. 8th St. Turnover is common across the street inside the massive Warehouse Food Hall; hot dog vendor Foy’s Franks is the most recent departure.
Now comes El Tejano. It was supposed to help energize a building already filled with glaring vacancies, notably where Bonefish Grill closed in early 2024 after 16 years.
Aevermann, who opened Liquid and Solid in 2008, says he doesn’t think BoDo’s situation is unique. Nationwide after the COVID-19 pandemic, skyrocketing food, labor and rent costs made the food-service industry challenging. In Idaho, Treasure Valley growth has supercharged dining options in western Ada County, meaning fewer residents need to travel to Boise to go out. And downtown construction and parking? Those add to the misery list.
“Downtown Boise has just gotten hard,” Aevermann says. “... Unless you’re on the main 8th Street strip where Diablo (& Sons) and Fork and all that is, I feel like everybody’s struggling a little bit.”
Kasey Allen, co-owner of The STIL, agrees that “downtown can be tricky.” The local ice cream chain has locations in BoDo and on the popular 8th Street corridor between Main and Bannock streets.
“The general sentiment is that even 8th Street is struggling right now,” Allen says, “... that even 8th Street has seen some drops compared to years past. I don’t know if these are some rumblings of the economy or the uncertainty in the world.”
“We do well in BoDo,” Allen says. “But we’ve seen a lot of different closures, for sure.”
Competition and the Warehouse
Some of BoDo’s restaurant troubles might be attributed to cannibalization. Kichii opened barely a chopstick’s throw away from competitor Yoi Tomo Sushi & Grill, 405 S. Capitol Blvd. Bonefish Grill’s demise came a few years after upscale seafood player Anthony’s debuted nearby.
The Warehouse Food Hall altered BoDo’s dynamic, too, when it opened in 2022. Aevermann thinks it might have benefited his foot traffic overall, but there are notable exceptions — such as when the Idaho Steelheads host games at Idaho Central Arena.
“We used to get pretty busy for hockey games,” Aevermann says. “We’re a lot less busy for hockey games now because the Warehouse is there.”
To help navigate the changing environment, Aevermann brought back live comedy earlier this year. Stand-up is featured on Fridays and Saturdays in the Solid underground “cellar”; open-mikes happen Tuesdays and Thursdays. Aevermann also has attempted to prevent increased operational costs from scaring off customers. “I’ve really tried to keep my food as affordable as possible,” he says. “My menu’s still pretty reasonable compared to most of downtown.”
BoDo: Potential to ‘thrive’?
Don’t expect Liquid and Solid to vanish anytime soon, Aevermann says.
“Some BoDo places are doing good!” he insists. “I’m doing good. And Yoi Tomo is doing good. The STIL kills it. ... The Knitting Factory has shows with 1,000 people down there. ... I don’t want there to be a stigma that BoDo’s going down. Because I don’t think that’s the case. I really don’t.”
Aevermann has owned his business for 17 years. “We’re still battling!” he says.
He doesn’t think the BoDo district has reached its potential. Vacant restaurant spaces or not, the best could be yet to come.
“I do think if we get the right places in these spots, I think BoDo can really thrive,” Aevermann says. “I still feel like BoDo’s going to hit.”