Another Harvey shutter
Another high-profile restaurant bites the dust due to Harvey hangover
The floodwaters may have receded, but Houston restaurants continue to suffer from the lingering effects of Hurricane Harvey. Citing the business disruption caused by the storm, as well as the difficulties caused by an extended period of street construction in the area, local restaurant group F.E.E.D. TX announced Monday that it has closed the Garden Oaks location of its neighborhood restaurant Liberty Kitchen.
"With great regret, as of Sunday, November 19, we have permanently closed Liberty Kitchen Garden Oaks," a statement issued by the company reads in part. "We are thankful for our welcoming, friendly neighbors in Garden Oaks and Oak Forest for their continuous support, and are grateful for the hard- working employees that helped us make our neighbors feel at home."
The restaurant opened in the summer of 2016 with the promise of delivering the same upscale-casual environment that has made the restaurant's locations in the Heights, River Oaks, and the Memorial area successful, but it never quite caught on. Earlier this summer, the restaurant rebooted with a more casual menu and an outdoor beer garden, but the losses sustained during a period of extended street construction proved to be too much to overcome.
Houston's three other Liberty Kitchen locations remain open. A Rice Village location that had been dubbed "Little Liberty" closed in March.
Liberty Kitchen Garden Oaks is only the latest high-profile Houston restaurant to shutter recently. Seafood restaurants Holley's in Midtown and SaltAir Seafood Kitchen have also closed since Harvey came to town.