LENOX — It’s an ending of sorts for a local eatery, but not necessarily a sad one for its proprietor.
After well over a decade, Nudel is bringing its restaurant operations to a close in Lenox, said owner Bjorn Somlo.
Somlo, an industry veteran, said the establishment will cap its 13-year run on Church Street on Labor Day weekend.
“We’re wrapping it up,” Somlo told The Eagle on Thursday. “I’m effectively retiring.”
“A lot of people hear about a restaurant closing and assume it has to do with a sad story,” he continued. “And this isn’t a sad story. With that being said, my involvement from the get-go was always because I was going to put as much as I could into what we did, and now I’m turning my attentions elsewhere.”
Somlo declined to detail any next steps he may have in the works.
But he said that he’s been in the culinary field since he was a teenager. He learned the ropes at restaurants in New York, New Orleans and at the Stagecoach Tavern in Sheffield, and ultimately opened Nudel in 2009 when he was 29.
Given the nature of the fast-paced, highly competitive industry, Somlo said he had “almost no breaks or vacations” since.
After the pandemic throttled the industry in 2020, Nudel reemerged as a “pop up, to-go” venture, and later evolved into Nudel Bar: Comfort & Craft.
He says he’s focused on making memories during his last week or so helming the restaurant. He thanked the people who helped him build up the establishment including chef Ryan McIntyre, and a litany of other names.
“We’re just excited to write our last chapter on Nudel, and celebrating the great years,” he said.
Bjorn Somlo announced he will be closing his Lenox restaurant Nudel on Labor Day weekend.
Ultimately, he hopes that the mantel of the intimate restaurant space will pass on to someone who is passionate about and hospitality.
It’s the same goal he has for The Lantern Bar & Grill on North Street in Pittsfield, the historic establishment that Somlo revived after the owners shuttered it in 2017.
Somlo closed the restaurant doors again earlier this year, and said he is working with the landlords, Mill Town, to try to find a new owner/operator for the space.