Walnut Street Kitchen is preparing to permanently close its New Jersey location. Along with the restaurant, Walnut St. Bagels & Co. will also shut down. The restaurant will serve its final dinner on July 31.
Walnut Street Kitchen to Close Permanently in Montclair
A fine-dining New Jersey restaurant, Walnut Street Kitchen, is closing by the end of this month. The restaurant opened in April 2022 near Montclair’s Walnut Street Station. It became known for its romantic atmosphere and Filipino-American-inspired cuisine.
The restaurant also operates a bakery and bagel shop named Walnut St. Bagels & Co. The bagel shop operates next door to the restaurant at 98 Walnut Street in Montclair.
In a social media post, the restaurant owner and executive chef Beverly Lacsina (Bev) shared that July will be its last month of operation. In the post, Bev thanked the community, the restaurant staff, business partners, and guests for their support.
“I always dreamt of having a restaurant in Montclair, and I was able to achieve that dream,” she wrote. “I will never forget you all and have had some incredible memories in this building, all of which I am forever grateful for and will fondly think of.”
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What Led to the Closure
Bev cited industry challenges and difficult economic conditions as the reasons for the closure. The post also added that operating a restaurant in the post-pandemic economy had become increasingly difficult.
“The nature of the economy is currently such that, plus the workforce struggles with many talented folks in this industry pivoting to other industries, it has forced me to cease operations in our space at 98 Walnut,” said the owner.
Before closing, the restaurant will host a Filipino-American pop-up dining experience called Bunso from July 7 through July 31.
Bev encouraged the Montclair community to visit and enjoy one last meal before its closing. The closure of Walnut Street Kitchen marks the end of a wonderful journey of upscale dining in Montclair.
