CINCINNATI — Taste of Belgium has closed its flagship location in Over-the-Rhine.
The restaurant announced Monday that the last day of service at the 1135 Vine Street location was Sunday. The bistro opened in August 2011 as the first full-service Taste of Belgium restaurant.
In a press release announcing the closure, the restaurant said the number of guests "have been in significant decline" recently at that location.
“Closing our Over-the-Rhine bistro is heartbreaking,” said Jean-François Flechet, founder of Taste of Belgium. “This was our very first full-service restaurant and has been part of the OTR neighborhood for 14 years. It holds a special place in our history & Cincinnati’s history as a gathering place that contributed to the energy and revitalization of OTR. We hope that people will continue to frequent our bistros at The Banks and Rookwood, as well as their other favorite locally-owned restaurants since so many continue to struggle."
What started as a waffle stand at Findlay Market in 2007, the eatery was one of the first few to invest in the Vine Street corridor of Over-the-Rhine. Christy Samad, Executive Vice President of Civic and Commercial Space Activation at 3CDC, the development company that has predominantly invested in parts of OTR for more than the last decade, credited Flechet for kick-starting the revitalization of the area.
“For more than a decade, we’ve had the privilege of working in partnership with Jean-Francois Flechet, whose vision for Taste of Belgium helped ignite Over-the-Rhine’s culinary revival,” said Samad. “He, along with other trailblazers in the industry, like Jean-Robert de Cavel, Dan Wright, Thunderdome Restaurant Group, and 4EG, laid the foundation for what OTR has become — a vibrant, diverse, and eclectic neighborhood. While we are sad to see Taste of Belgium go, we are forever grateful for the role Jean-Francois played in reshaping OTR. His commitment to the area helped transform it from a place once known for its challenges into one of Cincinnati’s most dynamic dining and cultural destinations”.
Flechet went on to say in a Facebook post that "downtown has changed" with "fewer office workers, GE gone at The Banks, more people working from home, and overall lower traffic." As a result, he said they could no longer sustain both the OTR location and The Banks location.
The restaurant said it sees more long-term growth opportunities at its location at The Banks, which is approaching its 10th anniversary. It will also continue to operate its Rookwood location and its food stand at Findlay Market.
"Thank you, Cincinnati, for 14 unforgettable years in OTR," Flechet said.
The closure comes after several other Taste of Belgium restaurants shuttered, including in Kenwood, Mason and satellite locations in the Dayton, Ohio area. The restaurant said those locations were not meeting sales expectations.
