Taste of Belgium closes 3 Greater Cincinnati locations, reopens Symmes Township spot

Taste of Belgium has shuttered three Greater Cincinnati locations and reopened another.

The local restaurant group announced Friday it has closed its Kenwood, Liberty Township and Clifton Heights bistros, effective immediately. It will also reopen its formerly closed Symmes Township location at 11 a.m. Friday, calling it a "consolidation move."

"We've learned so much this last year about the neighborhoods we serve, where our customers want us to be and how critical it is that we focus on our Belgian-inspired and locally infused culinary experience," founder Jean-François Flechet said in a statement.

The group said it has decided to close the three locations because the restaurants did not meet sales expectations. However, the company plans to reopen the Clifton Heights spot, which originally opened in 2023, as a new student-focused concept during the fall 2024 semester. More details will be announced at a later date.

All Kenwood, Clifton Heights and Liberty Township restaurant staff have since been offered positions at other area bistros. The restaurant group says it is focused on employee well-being, retention and creating career opportunities.

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Taste of Belgium, which recently reopened its Crestview Hills restaurant in Northern Kentucky after an extensive renovation, will reopen its Symmes Township bistro, located at 12071 Mason Montgomery Road, on Friday. The dining spot originally opened in 2021 but later closed. At over 5,000 square feet, it is one of the company's largest locations.

"There is so much opportunity for the Fields Ertel bistro – as there is a strong draw from Mason, Deerfield, Symmes Township, as well as the corporate presence in the area," Flechet added.

Taste of Belgium's bistros in Over-the-Rhine, The Banks, Rookwood, Beavercreek and Findlay Market remain open, per the group's website.