Graham Elliot's Primary Restaurant Closes Abruptly

What happened to Graham Elliot's restaurant? That's the question on our minds after the Master Chef judge's restaurant, Primary, which opened early in December in Greenwich, Connecticut, closed suddenly this week. According to Patch, Justin Shaw of JCS Construction Group Inc. and co-owner of Primary, decided to close the restaurant because it was not busy or popular enough. He has declined to provide further reasoning for the sudden closing of the highly-anticipated restaurant.

The manager, David Wolvovsky, was informed via text message of the restaurant's closing via text message, and came to work to find the place completely shuttered and empty. "The investors, the landlords pulled the trigger," he said.

The official statement from Graham Elliot's representatives is as follows:

"The owners of Primary Food & Drink brought Merlin Verrier and I in to replicate what we do in Chicago, and while it was well-received, it ultimately did not transfer to the Greenwich market. They eventually decided to take the space into a different direction; one Merlin and I didn't feel was the right fit for the Graham Elliot brand. I'm back in Chicago, taking time to focus on Graham Elliot Bistro, as well as Lollapalooza, training for the Chicago Marathon and writing my first cookbook." 

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Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter@JoannaFantozzi