Here’s why the owners of Rock and Rye in downtown Bellingham decided to close
Harrison Gilbert, primary owner of Rock and Rye Oyster House in downtown Bellingham, recently announced the restaurant would be closing permanently after 12 years in business.
“Twelve years flew by in a flash, in June 2014 we opened our doors to the public for the first time. It is time we celebrate our 12th anniversary! Unfortunately, it will also be our last,” Gilbert wrote in a June 16th Instagram post.
The restaurant is family-owned and known for craft cocktails, seafood, steaks, burgers and oysters.
“With a heavy heart, I have decided it is time to try something else. We will continue business as per usual through summer and be looking to move on sometime early autumn. So feel free to swing by and say hello one more time,” Gilbert wrote in the post.
As the social media post did not provide much background on why Gilbert decided to close, The Bellingham Herald reached out for further information.
“Additional reasons we have decided to close ultimately make up the extremely difficult landscape faced by small, locally owned restaurants: rising food costs, high labor costs, increasing utilities, inflated rent rates, etc.,” Rock & Rye Administrative Manager Lorraine Sullivan told The Herald on June 18.
Sullivan also credits the closure to a decrease in foot traffic and customers, both local and visitors.
“We have also noticed a marked difference in how many Canadian guests we serve over the past year especially, down significantly even from peak Covid drops,” Sullivan said. “Extremely high costs, diminished volume from local regulars and out of town guests, and a brutal larger economic situation have just created the perfect storm, and unfortunately it is no longer feasible to fight this uphill battle.”
The closure announcement follows a surprisingly positive month for Bellingham’s restaurant scene, as three new restaurants opened in May, and only one closed.
Although May’s restaurant stats seemed to be encouraging new businesses, multiple restaurants and shops have also decided to close recently in Bellingham, including MOTO Pizza, EverLocal and Bellingham Antique Mall.
“It also feels important to state that Rock & Rye is not the only local restaurant facing extreme hardship. If there is a non-chain, locally owned restaurant that you love, they are guaranteed to be feeling the same effects as we have been, even if not to the same degree. If you are at all able, this is the time to choose local businesses. People making this choice every day is what keeps these local gems alive,” Sullivan said.
Although Rock and Rye is planned to close in the fall, no official closing date has been set and the restaurant’s team is still asking customers for support in their final months.
“We plan to carry on with our current staff and hours as long as it remains feasible through the summer, hopefully until September with a final date TBD. This will allow all of our staff members to remain employed as long as possible, as well as the business to capitalize on what is historically our busiest season, given our large patio,” Sullivan said.
“I want to thank everyone who has supported Rock and Rye, I especially want to thank all my wonderful employees and friends from start to finish, thank you a thousand times over. I want to thank all our amazing regulars and customers. I want to thank all the great businesses and reps who worked with us. I want to thank each and every one who made it a great twelve years, I will miss you all dearly. This business has been my whole world for so long, thank you to everyone who shared it with me,” Gilbert wrote in the Instagram post.
Rock and Rye Oyster House is open from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 4 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at 1145 North State St. in downtown Bellingham.
