Acclaimed Steakhouse Bateau Is Closing for a ‘Planned Reimagining'
The acclaimed Sea Creatures restaurant group is navigating some choppy waters. On Thursday, June 5, the group, co-owned by famed chef Renee Erickson, announced in a press release that starting June 19, it will be temporarily shuttering the connected restaurants Boat Bar and Bateau as 'the company begins a planned reimagining of both restaurants.' The Capitol Hill location of its doughnut shop chain General Porpoise — which shares the space with those two restaurants — will close permanently, as will the Laurelhurst General Porpoise.
The closure of Bateau and Boat Bar is expected to last three to six months, Sea Creatures said.
'We're incredibly proud of what Bateau and Boat Bar have brought to Seattle's dining scene,' Erickson said in the press release. 'This closure will allow us the time and space to refresh and retool these restaurants after a long 10 years, so they can evolve and continue to inspire.'
Erickson is more associated with seafood than steak — her Walrus and the Carpenter is one of Seattle's most famous oyster bars — but Bateau has been a critical darling, attracting a lot of attention (and even a New York Times profile) for its use of unusual cuts of meat. In 2017, Eater national critic Bill Addison named it one of the 38 best restaurants in America. Even a temporary closure is a surprise.
Co-owner Jeremy Price said in an email that part of the reason for the closure was that chef de cuisine Taylor Thornhill and general manager Jamie Irene happened to give notice at around the same time. 'After a decade of working together and becoming friends, we are happy for these folks, wish them the best of luck in their new roles, and can't wait to visit them in their new restaurant homes,' Price said. The release added that their departure created a 'natural transition point' for some 'long-considered changes.'
Those changes will include the closure of the Capitol Hill General Porpoise, which was the company's first doughnut shop. 'We'll do our best to find positions to displaced General Porpoise Capitol Hill staff at our remaining cafés in the Amazon Spheres and Pioneer Square,' the press release said. The Laurelhurst cafe, near University Village, is being replaced by another tenant, and Sea Creatures said that all staff members there have positions at the other General Porpoises.
Sign up for our newsletter.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Capitol Hill steakhouse to temporarily close while owner shuts down multiple café locations
This story was originally published on A collection of restaurants and eateries run by James Beard Award-winning Seattle chef Renee Erickson is set to close, with some locations closing either temporarily or permanently. Bateau, a contemporary steakhouse, and Boat Bar, a French-inspired oyster bar, are shutting down temporarily on June 19. Both restaurants are expected to reopen in the next three to six months. 'We're incredibly proud of what Bateau and Boat Bar have brought to Seattle's dining scene,' Erickson said in a prepared statement. 'This closure will allow us the time and space to refresh and retool these restaurants after a long 10 years, so they can evolve and continue to inspire.' However, Beataeu's next-door neighbor, The General Porpoise café, also owned and operated by Erickson, is set to close permanently in order to be converted into a private dining room. The General Porpoise location in Laurelhurst is also closing permanently by June 24. These restaurants fall under the umbrella of Sea Creatures Restaurants, a network of eateries locally owned and operated by Erickson and partners. Sea Creatures Restaurants also owns Willmott's Ghost, The Whale Wins, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Barnacle Bar, Deep Dive, Westward, and Lioness. The closures, both permanent and temporary, came after a unionization effort led by some Sea Creatures employees earlier this year, according to The Seattle Times. 'We are comfortable with the union,' Sea Creatures Restaurants co-owner Jeremy Price told The Seattle Times. 'That's an employee's right, and we are all good with that.' Erickson and Price's goal is to relocate all doughnut shop employees working at the now-permanently closed General Porpoise cafés to the remaining locations.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Chef Renee Erickson closes 4 Seattle restaurants, cafés
The Brief 2 restaurants and 2 doughnut cafés will be closing later this month. Bateau and Boat Bar will be temporarily closing starting June 19 for a restaurant refresh. General Porpoise doughnuts will be permanently shutting down its Capitol Hill location on June 19, and its Laurelhurst location on June 24. SEATTLE - Two Seattle restaurants will be temporarily closing for a refresh and two cafés under the same ownership will be permanently closing later this month. Bateau and Boat Bar, members of a family of Seattle restaurants owned and operated by James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Renee Erickson, will be temporarily closing on June 19 after 10 years of operations. What we know General Porpoise, a donut and café chain under the same ownership, will also be permanently closing its Capitol Hill and Laurelhurst locations. The Capitol Hill location is a next-door neighbor to Bateau and will close with it on June 19. The Laurelhurst café will close on June 24. Bateau, a steakhouse, and Boat Bar, the bar at Bateau, are expected to stay closed for three to six months, as the Capitol Hill restaurants look to refresh their concepts and incorporate the space from the closing General Porpoise café. The Laurelhurst café has been serving customers since 2018, but has decided to close its doors due to rising operating costs. The remaining staff plan to be relocated to the other General Porpoise locations. The Pioneer Square and Amazon Spheres cafés will remain open. The Source Information in this article is from Bateau and General Porpoise social media accounts. Travis Decker manhunt: 'Remote' areas of 5 WA counties told to lock doors Former Army squadmate shares insight into Travis Decker's military past Miles Hudson found guilty on 2 counts of reckless driving in Seattle Key figures from Bryan Kohberger's youth summoned to Idaho for student murders trial Rochester dog training facility owner accused of killing employee during video shoot To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Eater
2 days ago
- Eater
The Saddest NYC Restaurant Closures in June
This is Eater's guide to all the New York City restaurants, bars, and cafes that closed in June 2025 (see: May , April , March , February , and January ). This list will be updated weekly and is a round-up of the dining and drinking places that have shuttered around the city. If a restaurant or bar has closed in your neighborhood, let us know at ny@ June 5 East Village: Danish pastry bakery Sweet Cake appears to have closed its Manhattan location, as reported by EV Grieve, sometime this spring. Its Flushing location remains open. 215 First Avenue at East 13th Street Greenwich Village: Critically acclaimed Japanese Peruvian restaurant Llama San is closing this week after six years this week. Its last day will be on Saturday, June 7. Chef Erik Ramirez and Juan Correa are still operating Llama Inn in Brooklyn and the recently opened Papa San, both with similar Japanese Peruvian approaches. 359 Sixth Avenue, at West Washington Place . Harlem: Japanese comfort food restaurant Chopped Parsley closed on Saturday, May 31. Owner and chef Yumika Parsley, who opened her restaurant in 2015, had been recounting her issues with the address's management on Instagram, writing that she was told she wasn't able to renew the lease back in March. 500 West 146th Street, near Amsterdam Avenue Herald Square: Martinique Hotel restaurant B&L Diner has closed sometime in May. The space had been co-partner Franklin Becker's restaurant the Press Club Grill, but that closed in September 2024 to become this diner later that fall by Becker and chef Stephen Loffredo. The hotel's other dining and drinking spots include newcomer dessert shop Sweet Graffiti, cocktail bar the Bronze Owl, and the B&L Bakery. 1262 Broadway between 32nd and 33rd streets Long Island City: Queens Chinese speakeasy 929 Speakeasy closed on Sunday, May 18. The team is going to relocate the cocktail bar, which opened in 2021, to a new address sometime later this year, per its website. The team also turned the current address into a new bar, 56709, with cocktails and Japanese City pop music. 42-45 27th Street, between 42nd Road and 43rd Street Upper West Side: Chinese dry hot pot restaurant 108 Food Dried Hot Pot closed sometime this past spring, as reported by West Side Rag. Former Eater NY critic Robert Sietsema raved about the restaurant when it opened in 2017. 2794 Broadway at West 108th Street Upper West Side: Family-run Mexican restaurant Taqueria y Fonda is closing on Saturday, June 7, as reported by I Love the Upper West Side. Owner Jorge Lopez had sold the restaurant because of 'rising rents,' per the website. The restaurant had opened back in 1999. 968 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 107th and 108th streets Sign up for our newsletter.
