Instead of Going Tipless, The Bent Brick Shutters

Opened in the Alphabet District in 2011, The Bent Brick has given rise to such celebrated chefs as Holdfast's Will Preisch, but on the very day it was supposed to eliminate tips and operate with an experimental "one-house" model, it closed instead. Owner Scott Dolich sent an email announcing The Bent Brick would shutter on July 2. Dolich says he always wanted the restaurant to be a "warm and relaxed space," but he was "unable to create a consistently strong identity" and "as a result our financials suffered."

The Bent Brick did pull a few switcheroos over the years. With Preisch in the kitchen, it took a modernist approach, tweezers in-hand, and then Dolich took over the burners to focus on gourmet sausages. Most recently, it was poised to eliminate tipping and merge the roles of front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house staff. In this experimental "one-house" model, chefs would serve food and waiters would help prep dishes during the day.

While The Bent Brick has closed, Dolich did unveil gratuity-free service and the one-house model at his other restaurant, Park Kitchen, over the weekend.

The Bent Brick was located at 1639 NW Marshall St. Read Dolich's complete farewell message below:

Friends of The Bent Brick,

It is with a heavy heart  that I am announcing The Bent Brick's closure on Saturday, July 2nd.  Since its opening in 2011, my goal for The Bent Brick has been to create a warm and relaxed space where great experiences were a common occurrence, shared by the staff, our customers, suppliers and peers. Despite a fantastically talented and dedicated staff over the years, I was unable to create a consistently strong identity for The Bent Brick, and as a result our financials suffered.

Even though coming to this decision has been incredibly difficult, I feel honored and grateful for my staff's dedication and the support of this community.  Over the next few days I will be focusing on our current personnel, working to find them future employment.  I will greatly miss seeing you all at The Bent Brick, but I hope you will continue to join us in our culinary adventures at Park Kitchen.

Sincerely,

Scott Dolich