‘Fighting to stay open,’ Boise restaurant has 30 days to ‘turn things around’
The restaurant industry often is a sink-or-swim universe.
But one Boise eatery has taken its struggle to stay afloat public.
Amelies, 1749 S. Cole Road, is facing the possibility of closing. The dire news comes from a heartfelt social-media campaign launched by owner and chef Jason Wang. In a last-ditch effort for community support, Amelies has created a “30-Day Restaurant Challenge” — releasing day-by-day videos to attract customers.
“Like many small businesses,” Wang explained in the Sunday debut video, “we’re fighting to stay open and keep this place alive. We have 30 days to turn things around. Instead of giving up, we chose to fight. And we want Boise to fight with us.
“We need people to share our story. We need you to come try the food and give us honest feedback.”
Amelies is a French-inspired concept. Many Idahoans will remember the standalone building as a longtime McGrath’s Fish House, then as O’Crab Cajun Seafood. In 2024, Wang reopened the restaurant as steak-and-seafood destination Country Bay Bistro.
Last year, the restaurant changed concepts to Amelies — named after Wang’s wife — continuing to offer seafood boils in tandem with new dishes. The restaurant, which also markets itself as an event center, unveiled a new menu earlier this month.
As of day three, the “Restaurant Challenge” had reached $3,842 of a $70,000 goal to keep the business running, Wang said in a message.
“The support tonight meant everything,” Amelies wrote on Facebook. “Thank you to everyone who came in. Boise, let’s keep this going.”
Many comments to the restaurant-support campaign have been sympathetic and encouraging.
“Literally crying rn,” an Instagram user confessed.
“The food is amazing, no changes needed,” a Facebook commenter wrote. “The location is tough! Plenty of traffic and people nearby but for some reason restaurants struggle (in) that spot. Hoping all works out!”
This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 1:54 PM.