The Washington Square French restaurant La Voile has closed, 10 years after it opened at 1627 Beacon Street.
Owner and chef Jérôme Bergere, whose Back Bay location will remain open, said a number of factors led to the decision, including swirling national and local policies, but also plain economics.
The restaurant’s 10-year lease ended, forcing Bergere to decide whether to commit to the location long-term.
La Voile’s owners had been in discussion with another group about buying the business and continuing as partners, Bergere said, but the group dropped out of the deal at the last minute.
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The Trump administration’s tariffs were also a factor for a business that relies heavily on imports.
“The wine is all French,” Bergere said. “Raising the price in this area would probably be a disaster for us.”
Shifting federal immigration policies worried him, too – Bergere said he helps many employees get visas to work in the U.S.
Two local government factors also helped make the decision.
One is a proposed ban on foie gras, which Town Meeting will consider next month. Foie gras is big business for the French restaurant, especially around the holidays, Bergere said.
The final factor was a repaving project which just began on Beacon Street and prohibits La Voile and other nearby restaurants from providing outdoor seating during the late spring and early summer months.
La Voile has nearly 40 outdoor seats, Bergere said: “When the nice days come, it’s very important for a business, so that’s a lot to lose.”
The restaurant held a final gathering on Sunday and is now selling its kitchen equipment and dining inventory.
The location, said Bergere, was convenient for guests from areas like Brookline and Newton, and its upstairs room was the home of “many memories,” such as weddings and birthday parties.
“I feel like 10 years is an accomplishment,” he said, including surviving the difficult years of the pandemic, when La Voile was able to keep its staff on the payroll. “Of course I’m sad to let it go, but we accomplished 10 years of staying open.”