Barboncino, a long-time neighborhood restaurant and bar in Crown Heights, will close at the end of this month, leaving workers shocked and disappointed.
The closure follows months of unsuccessful contract negotiations between the restaurant’s unionized staff and the new owners, who took over the 14-year-old business in 2022. Staff members say the closure was a direct result of the new ownership’s decisions, including price hikes and failure to address workers’ concerns.
“They did nothing to try and save the loss of business,” said Andrea Lopez, a longtime employee. “That’s why it was a shock when we got the closing announcement."
Lopez and fellow worker Becca Young have been working around the clock to support their colleagues. The pair set up a GoFundMe page that raised $7,500 to help distribute among the employees who will be affected by the closure.
Although Barboncino is unionized, workers say they are left without severance after negotiations for a new contract were never finalized.
“We presented our economic proposals, and they said they’d get back to us,” Young said. “But then they refused to meet with us for two months before announcing the closure.”
The restaurant’s unionized workers had been advocating for a raise and more input in decision making after the new ownership took over and implemented changes that the staff felt were detrimental to the restaurant’s character.
“We were like, ‘Hey, we’ve been here for years and kept the restaurant running through COVID. We would like a raise and more of a say,'” Andrea said. “They responded by saying, ‘We plan to be here for the next 10 years, where will you be?’”
Co-owner Jesse Shapell declined an interview request and referred News 12 to a statement on Barboncino’s Instagram. The statement cited economic challenges, loss of sales, and other factors as the reasons for the closure.
Lopez and Young argue the decline in business was due to the higher prices introduced by the new ownership, which they say was a departure from the restaurant’s original spirit.
“The sadness I’ve seen in people’s faces when they say, ‘Where am I going to go now?’” Becca said.
It remains unclear whether the owners will open a new business in the space.
