Judy Gibson, acclaimed South Portland restaurant that opened days earlier than COVID shutdown, to shut

Meals Information

Proprietor Chris Wilcox stated the restaurant by no means totally recovered from the shutdown, and so they weren’t busy sufficient.

A picture of booth restaurant seating, featuring several chairs and place settings.
Judy Gibson, an acclaimed restaurant in South Portland that opened simply days earlier than the COVID-19 shutdown of eating places, will shut Nov. 19. Courtesy of Judy Gibson

Judy Gibson confronted a tough begin when the acclaimed restaurant in South Portland opened its doorways in early March of 2020, simply weeks away from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown that will particularly affect the service business. 

After a while and far pivoting, it appeared the neighborhood joint had gotten previous bumps they may have by no means anticipated, receiving reward from locals and New Englanders elsewhere for its seasonal dishes and artistic methods of blending flavors.

However on Nov. 19, the South Portland restaurant will shut its doorways for good. The crew introduced the surprising closure on its Instagram account.

“I can’t start to specific the disappointment I really feel as I write this,” the submit stated. “The final 4 years of my life have been wholly devoted to Judy Gibson.”

Proprietor and chef Chris Wilcox was the chef de delicacies at Eventide and govt chef at Velveteen Behavior earlier than opening his very personal restaurant March 4, the title coming from his two grandmothers. However Wilcox’s first restaurant was pressured to shut simply 10 days later. 

Throughout the lockdown and finally once they have been in a position to open the restaurant for out of doors seating, Wilcox and his crew served up fried hen that was widespread sufficient to get the restaurant by these first two tough pandemic years. 

“I laid off all of my workers aside from one individual and simply fried hen daily and was depressing about it, to be fully frank,” Wilcox stated. “It wasn’t something tremendous particular — everybody was making consolation meals and takeout-friendly meals, in order that’s what I did.”

What got here after that was a menu that utilized seasonal elements in modern methods and have become some of the celebrated new eating places in Portland in consequence. In response to the Instagram submit, the restaurant “had an amazing summer season” that stored them afloat.

However regardless of getting such excessive reward regionally, Wilcox stated the issue was that the restaurant was not often booked full.

“Folks actually say how a lot they benefit from the restaurant — that’s nice,” Wilcox stated. “The truth is that folks didn’t present up as a lot. We weren’t busy sufficient.”

Wilcox actually isn’t certain what’s subsequent — his complete skilled life has been spent in kitchens, and his time in eating places is greater than doubtless not coming to a halt due to the Judy Gibson closure. 

However he want to take a second to consider his subsequent steps, he stated. 

“I’m grateful that I obtained to have the chance, interval,” Wilcox stated. “There’s one thing about doing your individual factor and doing it the best way you want to do it. It’s an expertise that’s fairly arduous to place into phrases for folks.”

Till Nov. 19, Wilcox stated Judy Gibson is generally booked stable after a “flood of assist” got here following the closing announcement. 

Although that could be the tip of Judy Gibson, Wilcox stated one of the simplest ways to assist eating places you wish to see in your communities is to only present up — don’t cancel these reservations you do have, and don’t simply assume it’s too booked so that you can go. 

“I do know for a incontrovertible fact that I’m not the one person who didn’t have as busy of a summer season right here within the Portland space,” Wilcox stated. “I assure there’s a number of folks in my quick space which can be positively involved about going into the winter.”