309 Restaurant Closed on the Peoria.com Forums

I was just told that it was on the news the other night that 309 in Junction City closed (Friday night I guess). I couldn't find a link to the story.

Anyone ever been? I'd been a few times over last couple of years and was never that impressed.

Many of the recent reviews on Yelp, Opentable, etc are negative. Many complaints about steak etc. That surprises me bc I thought an Alwan was one of the owner/investors...so the meat was from Alwan's or Echo Valley?

Also, I felt like w/ all the owners/investors, there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Many ideas/events/this and that...overwhelming. they seemed more focused on First Fridays and this and that than the food. They are praised for their drinks/lounge/ambiance though....too bad

@irunforfun:

You are absolutely right on. Long before it opened, in the talking stages, there were all kinds of problems of too many cooks in the kitchen. The real surprise is that considering there were too many cooks in the kitchen before it opened, it is amazing that it ever opened,.Thats the real surprise not that it closed after about 20 months or so. The handwriting on the wall was there long before that.

I hadn't heard that they closed. However, that rumor spreads every summer that they are closed. I do know that they had their First Friday event.

The food at times has been not to my standards, but anytime I told the manager it was always given to me complimentary or I was allowed to choose another dish for free. I think the food quality has been lacking because of a new chef and numerous other kitchen personnel changes. I will say they have the best bar staff in Peoria. The bartenders are awesome. They know their beer, wine, and alcohol backwards and forward.

I will say over the past few months I haven't seen as many of the owner/investors at the restaurant hanging out. I do think that was part of the problem too many "cooks in the kitchen". It was a great place to go and socialize, so maybe it can become a trendy bar in town and they can scrap the restaurant portion.

We had a large office lunch there once and I liked it well enough I took my wife there for lunch one time. I thought the food was good. I liked that it was a nicer, upscale sort of place that was a departure from the normal chain restaurant.

Don't know if the restaurant is closed or not, but I live up in Chicago & when I was down visiting about 6 months ago I was in 309. I asked the same question about where they got their meat, if they got it from Alwan's or Echo Valley.

I think they said they originally had gotten some of it from Echo Valley, but now they get it from somewhere in Wisconsin. I can't remember the name of the place, but they've been using them for over a year. So no, neither Alwan nor Echo Valley is a part of them anymore.

If Echo Valley was providing their meats, I WOULD have gone there. I love Echo Valley's Steaks. They have good prices, too. Too bad about 309. It seemed to have a good location.

Kind of a drag. Froggy owes me a very expensive dinner.

@Kevster:

Got to June. That would be far more expensive that 3o9.

Yep, guess its true. http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/Restaurant-in-Pe The last sentence is quite peculiar, however. "A new restaurant is expected to replace it". Does that mean that 3o9 just closed and someone is already planning on re-opening the space (Hmmm.......) or is it wishful thinking on the Junction City's part (or just an off-handed remark made by the reporter as that is what the space is best devoted?)

Also, TGIF in East Peoria closed. http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/East-Peorias-TGI

Either place would be great for Chef Kevin's prime rib sandwich and tater salad plaza!!!!!!!
Mmmmm tater salad.

3o9 is a huge place. I can't imagine the operational expense that place would generate not to mention the likely hood of a triple net lease.

IF (and that is one of the HUGEST IFs EVER) I ever decided to have my own place again, it wouldn't be any bigger than where I'm at (36 seats) and I'd hire MJH to make people be polite or leave.

@Chef Kevin:

Some of the egos of the investors of 309 are so huge it cant be described. They do believe that another restaurant will open there. The reality is that it is wishful thinking on the part of Junction City.

The idea of a restuarant in Junction City, at this time, has too many issues surrounding it for another one to open. There is still the issue of the apartments that might be built next to Junction City. If so, how will the construction hamper the parking lot, traffic flow etc. If the apartments are built, just asking, will that, during construction, hurt all the medrchants at Junction City?

On the other hand, the upscale apartments will give the merchants at Junction City some walk in trade. Overall, as we speak, there are too many unanswered question regarding Junction City.

Really sad to hear. They had the best bartenders in Peoria. Hopefully everyone at 309 (even the TGIF employees) is able to find a new job.

As many of you said, I do think there were too many investors trying to make decisions.

I heard that they were closing for 7 weeks and going to reopen with a new name.
"Some of the restaurant's investors told us they were notified about a week ago the restaurant would be closing." I thought this was a peculiar statement. Wouldn't you
think that the investors would be in on the decision to close?

@bwiser:

Dont be fooled into thinking that the "investors" are victims. They knew for several weeks, if they didnt know, from day one that the restaurant was doomed. The overhead alone was a killer.There is still the question if there was a triple net lease.

Anyway maybe the investors didnt know exactly what day it would close, they had a good idea when it would be. After all, a few weeks ago they were only serving food in the bar area as the dining room was closed. That should have been a major dose of reality of what was coming.

Going back many years, there is a hard core group of investors in Peoria that have been intent on opening a white linen table cloth restaurant in Peoria where the men are required to wear a coat and tie. At one time they had their eye on a house in the Heights that they wanted to renovate into a restaurant. Many of that gang got talked out of such a bizzare business plan. However, a few of them remain adamant about that plan.

It will be interesting to see what happens next. No doubt to be continued.



* This message has been revised.

If you were a investor with a small share, or enough of the "small shareholders" held a greater percentage than a majority shareholder, you probably wouldn't have much of a "say so" in the closing. If they are really going to re-name and re-open in 7 weeks, it sounds like a re-vamp of corporate ownership, maybe parties involved are buying each other out.

If a "had to wear a jacket and tie" place opened, I would support it as much as possible. When I go out to one of the Peoria "better" places and want a relaxing dinner in a more formal atmosphere, nothing is as depressing as being next to a table of people dressed in sweats, "T"s, flip-flops and ballcaps that act like they are Buffalo Wild Wings. Heck, I'm sure there are enough like minded people in Peoria that would support a 50 seat restaurant of this caliber. If I wasn't as super happy with my current job, I'd offer to be their Chef.

As for 3o9, I'm going to venture a guess that the rent there was low five figures. That's a lot of soup.