Please, an Over-the-Rhine restaurant run by James Beard-nominated chef Ryan Santos, is closed permanently.
Santos broke the news Thursday afternoon on the restaurant’s Instagram account.
“Please has closed its doors for good,” he wrote. “There are a lot of reasons for this decision, many of them pandemic-related (and too many to get into detail). During our downtime, and with a lease renewal approaching, the reflection on and reality of the physical and mental health toll of the restaurant on myself just wasn’t sustainable for another 5 years.”
Please opened at the corner of 14th and Clay in 2017, having spent five years as a pop-up before securing a longterm venue.
Its multi-course tasting menu focused on unique dishes made from fresh ingredients; Santos later added an a la carte menu for guests who didn’t have the time for a four-course sit-down.
And its colorfully tiled bathroom — colorful in a good way — was among the most popular Instagram locations in Cincinnati.
“I am so grateful for our amazing group of investors, all our employees past and present, and the wonderful support of our guests for making this weird little idea such a success and special place for so many,” Santos wrote in Thursday’s Instagram post. “I will remember all the great connections, people and experiences I got to have through my time at Please and living in Cincinnati, very dearly for a long time to come.”
The restaurant industry has been among the hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Restaurant Association, more than 110,000 restaurants closed temporarily or permanently in 2020.
