A major restaurant, bar and entertainment destination will end after a three-year run in downtown Boise.
House of Western, 610 W. Idaho St., closes at the end of the night Saturday.
“We’ll miss you, Boise!” wrote it on social media.
Launching in 2021 as Western Proper, the 10,500-square-foot space was rebranded last year as the House of Western. In its most recent shakeup in July, it was split into three concepts. “It’s so big,” owner Cary Prewitt told the Idaho Statesman“the one concept doesn’t necessarily fit.”
But the review was not enough. A lack of business forced the decision to close, Prewitt said in a phone interview Thursday.
“I don’t know anyone who is not double digit lower than last year downtown, he said. “And I know a lot of people who are down 30%. The fact is, if you want local restaurants to survive downtown, we have to go to them more often.”
All three concepts inside the space are closing. Due West, a fine dining restaurant, greets visitors to the left as they enter. The National, a bistro and bar, is on the right. Out back, House of Western offers a fun, casual experience with mini-bowling lanes, arcade games, TVs and a menu focused on sports pub food.
Before opening as Western Proper, the space had been vacant since restaurant chain The Old Spaghetti Factory closed there in 2013.
House of Western is a sister business to Western Collective111 W. 33rd St., a brewery and taproom that continues to operate in Garden City.
Prewitt said House of Western’s demise was not “for lack of trying.”
“We took a shot at a bigger space downtown, and the fact is we couldn’t make the numbers work. We’re proud of the effort we made and appreciate everyone’s support, and hope everyone will come out on Saturday and support us one last time time.
“We are excited to retain the brewery, Western Collective,” he added, “and to continue to be seen as one of the premier breweries and facilities to visit in the Valley.”