COVID-19 Causes Bittersweet End For Montclair Dessert Restaurant

MONTCLAIR, NJ — “When one door closes, another opens.” This was the message from a Montclair restaurant as it announced it will be closing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a social media message from local dessert lounge Vanillamore, it’s closing its location at 349 Bloomfield Avenue with a heavy heart, but with “immense gratitude.”

The announcement came just days after Gov. Phil Murphy pulled back on the reins of the state’s COVID-19 regulations for restaurants and bars, which have a 10 p.m. curfew as of Thursday.

• See related article: Montclair Bars, Restaurants Face New COVID Rules From NJ – Again

Risa Magid Boyer, the owner of Vanillamore, offered some details about the reason for the closure. Boyer wrote:

“Being a small business owner requires resiliency, persistence, and flexibility. These traits have been called upon every day while operating my restaurant. This is even more true as I finish writing this cookbook from my living room at home. It is the spring of 2020, millions of people have been ordered to stay home, uncertain of what may come; many are sick, and many are struggling financially, all because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, we are heading into the Winter of 2020 and there remains a great deal of uncertainty about the pandemic, and the future of the restaurant industry. So many restaurants are hanging on and pushing to get through to the other side when dining rooms can thrive again. Many other restaurants have had to close the door and look for the next one to open.”

Boyer continued:

“Sadly, we have made the decision to close our doors at 349 Bloomfield Avenue, the location that saw our restaurant rise and thrive in Montclair - a community that celebrated us every day and extended endless support and appreciation our way. I feel incredibly lucky for the experience that I’ve had in Montclair, bringing my passion to our space. Vanillamore will live on through my recently released cookbook, “Sweet. Savory. Social.,” and our e-commerce items as well as through the incredible memories of all of the people that we had the pleasure of working with, celebrating with, and inviting into our Vanillamore experience.”

Boyer ended the message with a thank-you to the staff and others who made it possible.

“I remain incredibly thankful to our staff, who put in the hard work to get us to our most successful months yet right before the pandemic,” Boyer wrote. “Though we may not be working elbow to elbow anymore, they will always be a part of the Vanillamore family. Thank you so much for your support the past years. We couldn’t have asked for a better staff, community or experience.”

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