What a pity！5 restaurants that closed in 2017

Reported by reporter Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

The countdown to the end of 2017 has begun！In the past year, many new restaurants opened. 《ETtoday News Cloud》 once compiled a 《2017 Super Lazy Guide to 50 Newly Opened Gourmet Restaurants》, but besides the new openings, there were also quite a few restaurant closures. Some might have been just small street-side eateries, while others were well-established or popular long-standing restaurants. Their closure left many regular customers expressing regret. Here’s a list of several restaurants that closed in 2017.

▲ STAY Restaurant announced it would only operate until September 30. (Photo / Reporter Huang Shiyuan)

STAY By Yannick Alléno
Among the restaurants that closed in 2017 was STAY By Yannick Alléno, the first restaurant and dessert brand established in Taiwan by three-Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno. The restaurant announced that due to the expiration of its lease and operational adjustments, it would only operate until September 30. It’s a pity that the Taipei edition of the Michelin Guide was set to be released in March 2018, but the restaurant didn’t make it that far.

▲ The closure of the Chibi Maruko-chan themed restaurant left many fans who hadn’t visited yet feeling disappointed. (Photo / Reporter Huang Shiyuan)

Chibi Maruko-chan Themed Restaurant
The first officially licensed Chibi Maruko-chan themed restaurant overseas opened last (2016) October. However, right after its one-year anniversary, the official Facebook page of the Chibi Maruko-chan themed restaurant suddenly posted an announcement on October 1, stating that the restaurant would temporarily cease operations starting October 1. Mr. Huang, the owner of the Chibi Maruko-chan themed restaurant, said that after the original one-year licensing agreement expired, they had planned to renew it and even considered expanding to Taichung. But the two parties could not reach a consensus on the licensing terms, so the Chibi Maruko-chan themed restaurant closed after October 1. The sudden closure left some fans disappointed and saddened.

▲ Pudding Dog Restaurant’s Mexican rice. (Photo / Reporter Huang Shiyuan)

Pudding Dog Themed Restaurant
The highly popular Pudding Dog Restaurant in Japan officially opened on January 19, 2016, but also closed after just one year (on February 5, 2017). It’s understood that poor performance was the main reason. Meanwhile, the Miffy Rabbit themed café, which opened in April 2015 at the Zhonghe World Plaza, also closed in March 2017.

Jingzhao Inn
The Jingzhao Inn, known for offering Chinese imperial-style health cuisine, announced on its Facebook fan page that its final day of operation would be May 14 (2017). In its final notice, Jingzhao Inn stated that due to the old building structure, the renovation facilities and environment could no longer meet customer needs. With the lease expiring, the restaurant decided to look for a new location and set its final operating date as May 14, 2017 (Year 106 in the Republic of China calendar). Although the announcement left open the possibility of relocating, by the end of 2017 there was still no news, and its original Facebook fan page had been shut down.

▲ The Michelin-starred Alexander Steakhouse announced its closure after just over a year in business. (Photo / Reporter Huang Shiyuan)

Alexander Steakhouse
The American steakhouse Alexander's Steakhouse, which had earned one Michelin star, entered the Taiwanese market in October 2015. But just over a year later, news of its closure emerged. The official announcement stated that the Alexander Steakhouse Taipei branch would only operate until May 21, 2017, and officially cease operations on May 22. In its statement, Alexander Steakhouse explained that the Taiwanese F&B market is highly competitive, and the Taiwan agent and the American Alexander Group could not reach a consensus on management philosophy, which led to the decision to terminate their partnership.