BY JOLEEN OSHIRO / joshiro@staradvertiser.com
After 19 years of serving Hawaii diners his Eurasian cuisine, chef Glenn Chu will close Indigo Restaurant and Bar at the end of business today, Aug. 29. Chu said the Chinatown restaurant was not able to regain its following after it was hit by a fire in March.
The Green Room at Indigo Restaurant and Bar has seen lots of action since it opened in 1994. (Star-Advertiser File)
“I guess not enough people knew we opened up again,” he said.
The restaurant, which turned into a nightclub every first Friday of each month, had about 25 employees, said Chantel Barut, a 19-year-old hostess.
“Especially (for) our regulars, it’s very sad,” said Barut. “Everyone’s in shock that we’re closing down.”
When Chu reopened Indigo in July, he decided to change the menu using the cuisine of different chefs on different days, but “the menu might have confused guests,” he said.
The lineup included executive chef Dave Cruz; chef Robert McGee, formerly of The Whole Ox Deli in Kakaako; and chef Ricky Goings, who worked at Prima Restaurant and He‘eia Kea Pier General Store and Deli.
“I wanted to experiment a little and have the chefs bring in their talent and knowledge,” said Chu. “The food was certainly good, but there was not enough customers.”
Indigo opened in 1994. Chu said it was a challenge to keep the restaurant afloat ever since the recession, and the fire made it even more difficult.
The three-alarm fire in March was caused by an electrical-outlet malfunction that resulted in an estimated $100,000 damage to the building at 1121 Nuuanu Ave.