Thursday, November 15, 2007
The New Hampshire St. Bistro, 811 New Hampshire St., will close its doors for the final time Sunday at 3 p.m. The restaurant had been in business at its current location for about 13 months.
The New Hampshire St. Bistro located at 811 New Hampshire St. is closing for good on Sunday. Owner Michael Levy said the restaurant wasn't making enough money to stay open. The New Hampshire St. Bistro will join the list of several local restaurants that that have closed there doors in recent months.
The close of the restaurant marks the end for another small business in Lawrence. The Mass St. Deli closed in February, Molly McGee’s closed in June, and Joe’s Bakery closed last month.
Beth Johnson, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce vice president of economic development, said that getting people downtown could be a struggle at times. She said that more economic development, such as office buildings, would likely help small restaurants because of the lunch-time crowds.
Michael Levy, New Hampshire St. Bistro owner, said the restaurant wasn’t generating enough revenue to survive.
“We just didn’t have the people coming through the doors to pay the bills,” he said.
Levy said that currently no one had planned to start up a new business in the building. Previously, the restaurant was in business for about five years at 6th and Wakarusa St, and it later had a location for about three years at the Kansas Union.
“It’s too bad,” he said. “I think we had a great restaurant. I feel bad for the customers and the employees.”
Chastity Romero-Latham, a 2006 alumna, began working at the restaurant only a couple of weeks ago. She was disappointed the restaurant was closing and said that she was looking for another job. She said Levy was proactive in helping his employees find new jobs.
Levy, meanwhile, said he was busy finalizing the details of closing the restaurant and hadn’t yet begun looking for a new job.
Jane Pennington, director of Downtown Lawrence, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that promotes the interests of the Downtown business district, said that despite the recent closings of Lawrence restaurants, several potential retail businesses could open in the coming months.
Edited by Rachel Bock
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