Bistro Gastronomie (Boca Raton)
Bistro Gastronomie (Boca Raton).
Let Jeff Eats do a “mitzvah” here…
To the owner of Bistro Gastronomie which is currently under construction at the intersection of Long Lake Boulevard and Yamato Road in Boca Raton…unless you are planning on washing money or something like that in the upscale French restaurant that you have been spending money like crazy on during the past 8 months or-so…stop everything right now and cut your losses.
Now this is just an opinion, but the demographics for the area tells-Jeff Eats that there is no way in hell that an upscale French restaurant in “your” location has any chance whatsoever of making it. The spot that you are building in ~originally housed a Moe’s Bagel joint and Back Street a moderately priced “American-Style” joint-that had 1-2-3-4 owners before finally calling it a day. Now! If “they” couldn’t move enough bagels/coffee or 4-sliders with French fries for $8.95 to pay the rent, then logic tells me -that your braised rabbit ain’t exactly gonna be flying off the shelf-either.
Sorry I didn’t get to you sooner, but I’ve been busy “studying” why the bay two doors down from yours has had something like six different businesses during the past 3-4 years.
Anyway…good luck!
*****
UPDATE: January 13, 2014
This evening Jeff Eats received an e-mail from Bistro Gastronomie’s owner, William Walden. In addition the Jeff Eats’ site received a number of “Comments” from the same William Walden.
Suffice it to say, Mr. Walden believes that his new restaurant- scheduled to open in February is going to be an extremely successful endeavor.
Since Jeff Eats has no skin in-the Bistro Gastronomie game…how the restaurant fares is of no real concern to me.
Jeff Eats really does wish Bistro Gastronomie and Mr. Walden all the best…that said, Jeff Eats stands by his opinions expressed in my 12/13/2013 story.
Mr. Walden’s e-mail is printed below.
From: William Walden
Subject: Bistro Gastronomie
Message Body:
Hello Jeff and Happy New Year! Bistro Gastronomie is slated to open this coming
February. Hopefully you received one of our flyers in the mail this past week. I
just discovered your Blog from a colleague that emailed me the link. WOW. I hope
to get a chance to meet you in the coming weeks and I certainly hope that you
will try my restaurant. Noteworthy is that it has taken an extremely long time
to build out due to the extensive renovations. We plan on being here for years.
Until shortly, Thank you! Executive Chef/Owner William Walden–
This mail is sent via contact form on Jeff Eats http://jeffeats.com
From: B arnold
Subject: closing
Message Body:
you were right, Bistro Gastonomie has closed its doors.
Went for dinner 7/6/2014 and a small hand printed sign in the window simply said
“closed for buisiness”
Too bad great food creative menu but as always
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
—
This mail is sent via contact form on Jeff Eats http://jeffeats.com
Okay, here’s the latest on Bistro Gastronomie. I peeked in today, and the door was open. A chef greeted me and I asked if they are open for business. He said that they are not yet open, but they will re-open under new ownerships, and with a new concept and menu in early September, 2015. It will be an “American Bistro,” which I imagine means that the menu will be at a lower price point, and have more items for American tastes. The chef mentioned that the new owner is Bobby Shapiro and his wife. When I said I didn’t recognize the name, he clarified that it’s Robert Shapiro, the lawyer of OJ Simpson Dream Team fame.
I heard that the partners had a fight and the chef partner left.
I also heard that Bistro may reopen with a new chef.
Jeff sure called this closing.
I can’t believe how fast it was but it happened.
We will just have to wait and see what happens next.
I can’t believe how fast Bistro closed.
Has to be the fastest in Boca’s history.
It was the wrong type of restaurant for that location.
Review the pricing and you’ll see Mizner Park pricing in a less then upscale strip center.
No one knows why the restaurant actually closed. so far all the comments and assumptions are all wrong. in due time the real reason will come out and i promise it had nothing to do with location or prices….
the partners probably had a fight.
it closed to fast for it to have been based on loc or prices etc.
What ever happened to Fred Dread and his alter egos?
They bad mouthed everyone who said Bistro didn’t have a chance.
Bistro closed and they disappeared.
Boy was that guy wrong.
Bistro’s closing has to have set the all time record for fasted restaurant failure in FLORIDA.
Heard from people who work in the same center that Gastro is reopening with a new chef in a week or so.
The all time record for a Boca restaurant to open and close. Jeff made the perfect call.
Bistro was like a fish out of water.
Wrong everything for this restaurant.
I heard that it is now being remodeled and will open in Sept. Under a new name and be an American Style Restaurant.
The location stinks.
This new concept will also be a disaster.
Never read do much bs in my life. I live in west
Boca and also was skeptical of the location. Let
Me tell u all that the restaurant was always full.
And with good reason. THE FOOD WAS F-ING
GREAT. William was gracious and his team in the
Kitchen superb. We already miss them and if they
Put a reasturant there that serves price based
food I hv no intention of going. It was the only special
place in west boca for fine finning. And it was fine.
We ate in Bistro twice and enjoyed it.
Looking forward to trying this new restaurant.
Bistro Gastronomie was the best restaurant I have eaten in in the Boca area. Period. It will be very much missed by those of us that can appreciate a fine dining experience. Does anyone know the chef’s name and whether he has re-located? If it is within an hour of Boca I am there.