Downtown Bistro to serve last meal

LYNN – Open a little more than one year, the Downtown Bistro and Wine Bar will officially serve its last meal on Aug. 23 due to a lack of business and local interest.Frustrated by the eatery’s failure to thrive, owner John Moore said he had little choice but to shut down the eclectic eatery that opened last May before his endeavor went belly up.”The restaurant hasn’t been doing well since I opened it and I’ve been losing money everyday,” he said. “There wasn’t much local support for dinner and lunch was a complete failure.”With entrees such as sea bass, steak fries, and sweet and sour short ribs offered at $16-$22, Moore said he attracted customers from Marblehead and Swampscott with ease, but experienced great difficulty trying to reel in Lynn residents for a meal.James Cowdell, executive director of the Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC), said he is disappointed the eatery is closing its doors because it’s the exact type of business the city wants downtown.”It’s really frustrating and disappointing that it’s not working because I feel strongly that a restaurant located downtown is important,” he said.Housed in the same spot as the former high-priced Oxford Street Grille, Moore was given a $150,000 loan to jumpstart the business and has a remaining balance of $122,000, which will be transferred over to the future owner.Moore, who also owns the Navy Yard Bistro in Charlestown, said several people are interested in purchasing the property and creating yet another restaurant with the same concept.”I’m basically making half the income at the Bistro than the Charlestown restaurant with more space and a full liquor license,” he said. “To be honest, the restaurant is better suited to be chef-owned so that they can pay themselves because it didn’t work out for me.”Even with advertising and word of mouth, Moore said he just couldn’t catch a break with the locals, even after offering a series of dishes at $14 each to entice customers.”I got great reviews from the Boston Globe and they labeled my place as one of the few great eateries on the North Shore,” he said. “It’s really too bad that I have to close with reviews like that. I had a bunch of regulars, but just not enough regulars to make it work. Plus the economy didn’t help either.”Moore said he would be assisting the sous chef for the rest of the week in the kitchen since his chef’s last day is today.After the restaurant serves its last dish on Saturday, Moore said he would continue to operate his eatery in Charlestown, and is looking into opening an Italian restaurant in close proximity to it.”It definitely won’t be in Lynn,” he quipped.