Trump Soho Restaurant To Close After Drop In Business Post-Election

Restaurant owners in the industry have questioned how Donald Trump's presidency would affect businesses, and nearing his 100th day in office, the future of some restaurants look bleak. Back in November 2016, chef David Chang expressed his concerns via Twitter about how Trump's residency in Midtown was "killing restaurant foot traffic," and now, Koi, a Japanese-fusion restaurant located in Trump Soho, is closing its doors.

"Obviously, the restaurant is closing because business is down. I don't think anyone would volunteer to close a business if they were making money," Suzanne Chou, general counsel at Koi Group, told Grubstreet. "Beyond that, I would prefer not to speculate as to why, but obviously since the election it's gone down."

According to Jonathan Grullon, a busser and host at Koi, the restaurant now has only ten service employees.

"Before Trump won we were doing great. There were a lot of people we had, our regulars, who'd go to the hotel but are not affiliated with Trump," Grullon said. "And they were saying if he wins, we are not coming here anymore."

To read about 9 restaurants that pay rent to Donald Trump, click here.