WASHINGTON — Two and a half months after it opened its doors, The Shaw Bijou announced it’s closed for good.
Principal owner Kelly Gorsuch tells The Washington Post the fine-dining restaurant wasn’t filling seats and covering the costs it needed to stay open.
Longtime friends Kwame Onwuachi and Greg Vakiner opened The Shaw Bijou in November after spending nearly 18 months building the concept.
The experience was like no other in D.C. The tasting menu consisted of roughly 13 courses and cost diners upward of $300 a person. Depending on drinks and wine pairings, the tab could end up around $1,000 a couple.
Original plans included a members-only private bar; everything from the doors to the light fixtures were custom made.
On Dec. 29, 2016, Onwuachi, a former “Top Chef” contestant, said the restaurant “fostered an environment and restaurant that was not reasonable for all,” and announced he was adjusting the original model. The Shaw Bijou switched from a 13-course tasting menu to a seven-course menu, and dropped the price to $95. Onwuachi also opened the upstairs bar to the public.
Gorsuch said in his interview with The Post it was too little too late.
