Kwame Onwuachi's Opening 2 Restaurants
Three months after Top Chef alum Kwame Onwuachi's short-lived Shaw Bijou shuttered abruptly, the chef is already working on his next restaurant—two of them to be exact. "I've started a restaurant group and I am working on opening a couple of restaurants. Fast casual and an a al carte Modern American Restaurant," he tells Bravo. He plans "to open up two restaurants in the next two years."
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The fast-casual concept is a major shift in direction for Onwuachi, who was criticized for his high prices at The Shaw Bijou, where dinner for two, including wine and gratuity, could stretch into the $1,000 range. The restaurant did lower its price point in the end, but it appeared to be a move too little too late. Co-owner Kelly Gorsuch told Washingtonian in January, "It just became too costly with labor and the quality of the ingredients, and unfortunately, if you can't cut those two things down, it's usually the end of business."
Since closing the restaurant, the chef's been traveling and sharing his tempting meals in Colombia on Instagram. He's also cooked at a fundraiser for homeless advocacy organization Shelters to Shutters. Because Onwuachi's been hopping around, it's hard to guess where he will open his two restaurants. So stay tuned.