Two of the Richmond area's upscale restaurants are the latest victims of the economic downturn.
1 North Belmont Restaurant, which has received the prestigious AAA Four-Diamond rating for five years, and Bottega Bistro in The Shoppes at Bellgrade in Chesterfield County served their last meals last week.
"It's absolutely the economy and it doesn't look like it's getting much brighter," said Frits Huntjens, owner and chef of 1 North Belmont, located at 1 N. Belmont Ave. in Richmond.
Huntjens said he will take a couple of weeks off before deciding whether continuing to lease the space and reopening with a different concept. The restaurant celebrated its fifth anniversary in October.
"I certainly don't want to go through another 2009," he said.
Bottega Bistro said on its Web site and in a voice-mail message that it closed because of the "continuing decline in the economy."
It decided not to renew its lease. Bottega opened in late 1995.
A call to Bottega's owners was not returned yesterday. The company, Diversified Restaurant Management, also owns the Ruth's Chris Steak House in the plantation house next to The Shoppes at Bellgrade and in Virginia Beach.
The restaurant industry has been hard hit in this downturn, including upscale ones.
For instance, The Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond revamped and reopened its Lemaire restaurant in July into a more approachable dining experience. Gone are the highbrow prices that once occupied the menu.
The National Restaurant Association reported last week that its Restaurant Performance Index dropped for the third time in the past four months.
The index is based on two surveys conducted by the trade group that monitors certain facets of the industry, including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures.
The index stood at 97.8 in November, down 0.2 percent from October. It stayed below 100 for the 25th consecutive month, according to the restaurant association.
The association also reported drops in sales at restaurants open for at least a year and in traffic.
Not all restaurant owners are pessimistic. The survey found that 27 percent of restaurant owners expect the economy to improve the first half of this year.
Aline Reitzer, who co-owns Acacia midtown, at 2601 W. Cary St., said business had been good during the holidays.
Reitzer and husband-chef Dale relocated and reopened the restaurant late last year.
"We've worked hard trying to come up with ideas to attract new customers, but we've kept our previous clientele," she said.
Contact Louis Llovio at (804) 649-6348 or LLLovio@timesdispatch.com.
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