The two-story restaurant at the corner of NW Wall Street and NW Minnesota Avenue, 900 Wall Restaurant & Bar, served up its last meal on Sunday.

Rachel O’Rourke, Downtown Bend Business Association executive director, confirmed the closure of the restaurant, which has been in operation for 17 years. The owners or operators of the restaurant could not be reached for comment by The Bulletin. 

“It’s always hard to say good bye to such a beloved part of our community,” O’Rourke said. “We have a few prospects, but we’re actively seeking the right fit for that beautiful, historic space.”

A social media post stated the restaurant had served up its last fried green beans dish on Sunday. 

According to the restaurant’s website, the building was built in 1920 and could seat up to 200 people. The restaurant described its food as modern American with French and Italian influences. The chef, Cliff Eslinger, used fresh, local, organic sourced ingredients when possible, according to the website. 

“We did all we could to continue to provide a living for our employees, a sense of community for our guests and a platform for all of our local farmers and producers we’ve worked with for the past 17 years, “ according to a social media post.

Ever since the pandemic, full-service restaurants have experienced fragile business environments and challenges, said Jason Brandt, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association president and CEO. 

Costs have steadily risen and employees difficult to obtain and retain, all of which make it harder for business owners to maintain profitability, Brandt said.

“Cost escalations across a myriad of expenses required to run a full-scale operation continue to show their full force as some of our favorite local restaurants across Oregon make tough decisions on the viability of their business models,” Brandt said.

A call to the restaurant’s phone number didn’t indicate that the business had closed and even allowed callers to make reservations, but no menu was posted on the outside of the building.

“It’s really sad news,” said Katy Brooks, Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO and president. “They are employee-owned and have been operating for 17 years. Cliff (Eslinger) and Katie (Egge) are the lead employee owners.” 

San Francisco chef Jody Denton pioneered a renaissance in fine dining in Central Oregon when he moved to Bend and opened Merenda restaurant  in August 2002 at 900 NW Wall Street.  First-class restaurants such as The Blacksmith, Zydeco, Ariana and others soon followed. But as the Great Recession ground down businesses in 2008, many establishments closed or were sold, according to Bulletin archives.  \

Several employees partnered with an investor to rescue the popular restaurant when Denton closed it abruptly in early 2009, days before filing bankruptcy then departing the Pacific Northwest. Renamed 900 Wall, the restaurant had since been one of downtown Bend’s most popular dining destinations.