Syracuse, N.Y. —Six years after opening in the shadow of Syracuse’s Columbus Circle, 317 at Montgomery will serve its final meal on New Year’s Eve.
Owners Joel Carpenter and his fiancé Natalie Abbott announced the decision this morning on the restaurant’s Facebook page, telling customers that the downtown spot will close after dinner on Dec. 31.
“After great contemplation, we are announcing that we will be closing our doors after December,” the post reads. “It has been an honor to create dishes and an atmosphere that was inviting and enjoyable to you all… Let’s make it a great one.”
Carpenter opened 317 at Montgomery in 2018 with a menu that was intentionally hard to pin down. His chefs jumped from Italian vodka chicken cutlets to Asian-inspired entrées to hand-cut ribeyes, all tied together with what he liked to call “a 317 flair.” The restaurant tucked itself into a small brick building a block away from the Landmark Theatre and became a reliable stop for show nights, date nights and the crush of SU parents during graduation weekend.
In 2020, during the pandemic’s quietest nights downtown, syracuse.com restaurant critic Jared Paventi walked into a mostly empty dining room and came away impressed.
He wrote that “the desserts were thoughtful and well done, as were most things during our recent Friday evening visit,” praising a dense flourless chocolate cake “akin to cutting into a block of fudge” and a seared salmon that held its crust atop a sharp celery-root blend. “The food at 317 @ Montgomery Street deserves better than the empty dining room,” he wrote. “Then again, we all deserve better than the circumstances dealt by 2020.”
Diners sit at one of two tables in the picture windows at 317 @ Montgomery, Syracuse, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gmail.com)Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
The restaurant was also no stranger to attention: its signature burger earned a spot as a 2024 finalist in New York State’s Best Burger competition, drawing new diners who realized the place was much more than a pre-show pit stop.
Carpenter said he had poured his heart and soul into the place.
“We did,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that everything has a shelf life. Just gotta know when to use it by.”
He stressed that the decision wasn’t about debt, disaster or dwindling crowds.
“We’re not seeing this as a failure,” Carpenter said. “We’re not going out of business because we are horribly in debt. It’s just the right time. We’d rather choose to do it than be forced to.”
Carpenter said he’s grateful for the regulars who became friends — the theatergoers, the downtown lunch crowd and the families who returned every Parents Weekend.
“Looking forward to see each and every one of you in December and serving you one last time,” he said.
Dining and Cooking