Abondante served their last service last night?

[angela4design]

I heard that the owner of Abondante on Main Street in Meredith has decided to shut the doors, and that their last service was last night. I'm not sure what may become of the wine grotto or the bakery beside.

Can anyone confirm or deny this???

[Resident 2B]

I hope this is not true, but we are still in a tough economy.

This will be a huge loss if true. Great place with a lot of character, the food was excellent!

R2B

[no-engine]

I also hope no closing - I hold a gift certificate!

[Janet]

Hope it's not true - this is one of our favorites.

[LakesRegionSpirit]

Apparently so, confirmed by a friend of mine on Facebook who works there.

[no-engine]

No way; a friend knows the owner, Steve, very well!
RUMORS, here are obnoxious....................

Somebody needs to confirm. Many restaurants close for a period for cleaning, in off season.

[ripley]

I can confirm that they are indeed closed ,,,caput !

The employees were told on Wednesday that thursday would be their last day ...no other notice given

[jetskier]

I checked their web page - nothing about closing or cleaning. I called their number and there is no answer or message. Can someone confirm or deny; I also have a number of coupons?

Jetskier

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by no-engine

I also hope no closing - I hold a gift certificate!

This would indeed be a major bummer..... Never having had to deal with it, one wonders if a business closes, and gift certificates are still outstanding, are they responsible for refunding the money???? When I say this of course I am think of the situation where a business owner simply decides to shut the doors. Obviously if there is a bankruptcy etc. things are completely different.

[karen47]

Hello, I own K&B's Italian Bistro and I heard about them closing the other day and it's never nice to hear about another restaurant closing but these are really tough times for everyone, I guess you just have to tighten the belt and hold on, we are now going into our tenth year in business and I have never seen it this bad, can't wait till summer! We will give anyone who has a gift certificate from Abondante 15% off their meal including liquor, that's the best I can do. We are a different Italian restaurant than they were we are more of a traditional Italian.

[ishoot308]

What a wonderful thing to do karen47! Especially in this kind of economy where every dollar really makes a difference.

Have a great New Year!

Dan

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

This would indeed be a major bummer..... Never having had to deal with it, one wonders if a business closes, and gift certificates are still outstanding, are they responsible for refunding the money???? When I say this of course I am think of the situation where a business owner simply decides to shut the doors. Obviously if there is a bankruptcy etc. things are completely different.

When my wife and sister closed their yarn shop, their lawyer told them that they had to honor all gift certificates, even after the business closed. Fortunately for them, they had a record of who bought them, and they were able to contact them. They ended up not having any outstanding ones. They were not in bankruptcy (I sure felt that way ), which I'm sure puts a whole new wrinkle in the works.

[Gatto Nero]

Originally Posted by karen47

Hello, I own K&B's Italian Bistro and I heard about them closing the other day and it's never nice to hear about another restaurant closing but these are really tough times for everyone, I guess you just have to tighten the belt and hold on, we are now going into our tenth year in business and I have never seen it this bad, can't wait till summer! We will give anyone who has a gift certificate from Abondante 15% off their meal including liquor, that's the best I can do. We are a different Italian restaurant than they were we are more of a traditional Italian.

Karen, I've been meaning to check you guys out for quite some time now. I am holding an Abondante gift certificate so this gives no more excuses. We look forward to seeing you soon.

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by no-engine

No way; a friend knows the owner, Steve, very well!
RUMORS, here are obnoxious....................

Somebody needs to confirm. Many restaurants close for a period for cleaning, in off season.

There still seems to be a question of a closing or not. Is Steve able to respond to what these gift certificates status is? No-engine, can you ask the friend to ask Steve?

[Woodsy]

I am pretty sure its all done for Abondante.... can't cite the source but its pretty reliable! Doesnt bode well for anyone with gift certs....

Woodsy

[jack1706]

What a wonderful gesture !!

I too haven't been to your restaurant but I will now... that is truly a

gracious thing to do... I applaud you & your restaurant...

( In wolfeboro, but we will come see you )

Happy New Year !!

[jetskier]

Hi all,

I have my certificates through restaurant.com. I gave them a call and they will exchange the $25 certificates for another restaurant. Just another option in addition to the offer from K&B.

Jetskier

[Phantom]

Wasn't Doug Moyer (Head Chef) very ill this summer? Could it have something to do with that? Although I have to admit, the gal who was his "sous chef" (don't know her name) was AWESOME too!!

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by Woodsy

I am pretty sure its all done for Abondante.... can't cite the source but its pretty reliable! Doesnt bode well for anyone with gift certs....

Woodsy

i think it is a state law that gift certificates have to be refunded, even after the business close. As for bankruptcy, get in line at the courthouse for a refund.

[Old Hubbard Rd]

No-Engine any updates?? You seemed very confident this story was untrue.

[Janet]

My brother-in-law received the following email today from Abdondante:

Dear Friends of Abondante and Fellow Wine Lovers,

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I must share with all of you the closings of the Abondante Restaurant, Abondante Bakery, and The Main Street Wine Grotto effective this past January 1st.

For nearly 11 years Abondante, and for almost 4 years, The Abondante Bakery and Main Street Wine Grotto have enjoyed a wonderful and truly pleasant relationship with you, our loyal customers. During that time, we tried to provide the Lakes Region with a quality dining experience unique to the area. Our bakery and wine grotto were created to provide fresh baked goods, unique wines, and a warm and friendly atmosphere.

It was important to us that many publications and critics agreed with you and believed we achieved our goals. Most important to us however, was your support and loyalty to this end. Much of our success was also due to a fantastic staff, many of whom have been with us for years and were a true “family” of co-workers.

It is again with deep regret and sadness that we must close our doors at this time. We would like to thank you for your kindness and support and as we assess our situation, we make arrangements shortly to honor outstanding gift certificates. Please call us at 603-279-7177 or write us c/o 30 Main Street, Meredith, NH 03253 with any questions.　

Sincerely,

Steve Catalano

[baygo]

My wife and I are new residents in the Lakes Region. We share the pain with those who will now have to live without the option of Abondante when in search of a great dinner. I dined there three times and was always impressed.

We are in the proccess of reopening the tavern previously known as "Tavern on the Green" , and after that "The Stone House Tavern" at 2075 Parade Rd in Laconia. We hope to open around the 1st of Feb and will operate under the name Tavern 27. We intend to feature some comfort food, and a Tapas Style menu, as well as personal gourmet pizzas. We will extend a 50% discount to any holder of a Abondante gift certificate who presents the certificate during the month of March. We will extend this discount on all food and bar items however can only offer a 25% discount on wine. This discount will only apply to those who purchased their certificate directly from Abondante. This offer will not apply to certificates purchased from restaurant.com or other third party issuers. Visit http://www.themysticmeadows.com to learn more.

[Shore Driver]

Oh, does this ever suck. One of my faves - Meredith has lost a true gem Summer dinners on the back deck


baygo I wish you all the best. I will be sure to give you a try when I am up in Feb.

[no-engine]

I was asked, but we see Steve's quoted email a few posts back.
I was preparing to post that driving by, I see an 8.5x11 sheet paper on one door. I did not stop to read it. It is a disappointment, not only for my gift certificate, but for the Main Street environment.

Karen, thanks for your offer.

[Old Hubbard Rd]

I noticed that no-engine posted that I guess the story was true contrary to what he thought. I know that sometimes this forum can state stuff that may not be true but I have also found this forum to be a wonderful source of info. It is very sad whenever a business fails especially in our downtown Meredith area. Downtown Meredith had always struggled to keep it's businesses going and having Abondante etal there was certainly awesome. It's scary to see a successfull looking business fail. Hat's off to the survivors. The restaurant business along with most businesses comes right down to overhead. Big bank loans and big overhead equals failure!! One must be very liquid to operate a small business today.

[Gatto Nero]

That is a bummer. Although it bugged to no end that you had to order you apps and dinner at the same time, I loved the food and atmosphere there. I had a certificate from Restaurant.com and was able to get a credit, which I applied to a Walters Basin certificate.

[jetskier]

Originally Posted by Old Hubbard Rd

I noticed that no-engine posted that I guess the story was true contrary to what he thought. I know that sometimes this forum can state stuff that may not be true but I have also found this forum to be a wonderful source of info. It is very sad whenever a business fails especially in our downtown Meredith area. Downtown Meredith had always struggled to keep it's businesses going and having Abondante etal there was certainly awesome. It's scary to see a successfull looking business fail. Hat's off to the survivors. The restaurant business along with most businesses comes right down to overhead. Big bank loans and big overhead equals failure!! One must be very liquid to operate a small business today.

It is indeed amazing how many "rumors" actually turn out to be factual. I am always mindful that we need to give folks posting courtesy as the information is usually quite helpful (usually accurate).

We really liked Abondante but it is not too surprising. They had very good quality but the portions were relatively small and the prices on the high end. That is not a good combination for a weak economy. In addition, they had a small facility off the beaten path. In the summer, they probably could do rather well, but the winter is a killer. It was never full when we went in there.

The rather unfortunate part is that there seems to be a downward trending of restaurants in the area. We just went to another favorite (we had never had a bad meal there) and the portions and quality were definitely down. I sent them an email and we will give them another chance.

Jetskier

[Lucky2Bhere]

What would do well in that location? Perhaps Mexican?

[angela4design]

Is it for sale? Do they have a broker?

[SAMIAM]

That was nice of you, Jetskier, to tell the owners and give them another chance. Anyone can make a mistake but they can't fix it if they don't know about it.

I'll bet the owners appreciate that and will do everything to correct the problem.

[ripley]

Originally Posted by angela4design

Is it for sale? Do they have a broker?

I was told by an employee that Abondante had been leasing all this time, so the property is available, as well as the space underneath where the bakery had been.

RIPLEY

[baygo]

Earlier in this thread I invited anyone with a Abondonte gift certificate to bring it in during the month of March and I would honor it at Tavern 27. Tavern 27 is still in the pre-opening stage so I am extending the offer to include April. Sorry for the delay

[Dave]

Does anyone know why they closed?

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by Dave

Does anyone know why they closed?

They were making too much money.

[jniff101]

Now now secondcurve...lol

[angela4design]

I'm going to go out on a limb and speculate.

Abondante had a great business, and the owner (and his wife) are professionals in health careers, primarily. They also had twin daughters that were nearing college age and planning to attend university when he started the business. I'm sure the restaurant was as profitable as it was acclaimed over the years, but once the girls were through university, I suspect that he was ready to turn the page and scale back to a calmer lifestyle now that tuitions were out of the way. Best wishes to them all!

[Woodsy]

Mr. Moyer is now Executive Chef at the Lob Pound.... He has been there for a month or so now!


Woodsy

[Overlake97]

I clicked this photo this morning (April 26, 2010). Apparently they are moving into the old Abondante location. A related Help Wanted sign is in the other window.

[angela4design]

I saw them working there last week, too. It's a franchised pizza shop, which will be interesting to see. I'm not sure why they chose to open a pizza shop ACROSS the street from the Pizza Factory, though. They call Pizzaria Venti at "Sliceria". Is there a difference?