Distill Table In Lakewood Will Close Permanently

LAKEWOOD, OH — Distill Table will close its doors permanently, the restaurant announced Friday on social media. This will not impact the attached Western Reserve Distillers, which will continue normal operations.

Chef Eddie Tancredi, who led Distill Table, said the spread of the new coronavirus and the ensuing state-mandated shutdown and new social distancing rules crippled his business.

"My whole concept [for Distill Table] was large groups of people enjoying communal sharing and passing food. The environment was for people to be around other people. Guests could have someone they didn't know right next to them," Tancredi said. Such an environment was strictly prohibited under new health and safety protocols.

The state now mandates parties in restaurants be separated by at least 6 feet of space or a barrier.

Under that mandate, Tancredi told Patch, Distill Table could have sat only 20 to 25 people at once.

"Now they're telling people they'll have to wait for their table in their car," Tancredi said. "People used to wait in our bar. We're losing that money, too. All of these things go into consideration."

While acknowledging the new regulations are meant to protect Ohioans, Tancredi felt the state was putting too much of the burden on employers.

"It's a little off to me, but they're doing the best they can," he said. "There has to be restrictions. I don't want to see this thing get worse."

For Tancredi, the future is murky. He'll still be in the hospitality business — it's the only industry he's ever worked in — but he isn't sure what the future of dining will look like. "People keep saying, 'When we return to normal …,' but I don't know if there is a normal anymore," he said.

The longtime chef said Distill Table received tremendous support from the Lakewood community and surrounding areas. There was good demand for takeout meals, but those sales represented a fraction of what his restaurant used to do. Ultimately, he didn't see a sustainable path forward. He had to close Distill Table.

"This was a tough decision, but for me, it's the right one," he said.

Tancredi added that insurance companies offered little assistance in his time of crisis. Some Northeast Ohio restaurants have sued their insurance companies to get coverage.

Tancredi told Patch he had 15 employees. Some were able to transition to working for Western Reserve Distillers.

Tancredi shared a goodbye note with the community, which can be seen below.