While we know that there’s probably a handful that we missed, by our count at least 64 businesses called it quits in the Boise area last year.
With a population that continues to climb, many vacant buildings in the Treasure Valley don’t stay empty long. That’s why we’re looking back at a handful of businesses that closed in the first quarter of 2024 to see what they became after saying goodbye.
Gino’s Italian Ristorante & Bar
Gino’s namesake, Gino Vuolo, passed away in January 2022 but his family hoped to keep the restaurant open as long as they could to honor his legacy. Unfortunately, continuing to run a small business in shaky economic times was just too much. With the restaurant operating at a steady loss, they decided to close the restaurant two years later.
We’ve driven past the vacant location weekly for over a year on the way to our favorite med spa. We just noticed that the building isn’t vacant anymore! A popular brunch destination chose the old Gino’s as the location for their fifth Treasure Valley restaurant. The Griddle quietly opened their new location on January 15.
Juniper
Vacant space on Boise’s famous “restaurant row” is nearly unheard of which is why so many people were stunned by the announcement that Juniper was closing on February 17. At the time, the Idaho Statesman explained that the restaurant’s lease was up and the owners wanted to shift their focus to their other restaurant, Red Bench Pizza…