(Photo by Josh Novikoff)

Update: Though chef Mike Isabella’s bankruptcy filing requested that his restaurants remain open through December 27, it appears some of his properties have already closed. A manager at Arroz confirmed that it would be closing on Sunday, December 16, to Eater, which also reported that Pepita Cantina, Kapnos Taverna, and Yona—all in Arlington—were marked with signs saying they had closed. We’ve updated the story below.

Original: It appears to be nearly over for Mike Isabella Concepts. The company headed up by the celebrity chef is filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, according to Washingtonian.

This is markedly different from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which the company filed for in September. Chapter 11 protects a company from lawsuits and other legal actions against it while the group reorganizes, and allows them to stay in business. Chapter 7 effectively liquidates the company, allowing assets to be sold off to creditors. In Isabella’s case, this means another six of his restaurants will close by the end of the year: Arroz, G, Kapnos, Kapnos Taverna Arlington, Pepita, and Yona.

In bankruptcy court on Wednesday, Isabella blamed his company’s collapse on negative press following a sexual harassment lawsuit against him and his company, per Washingtonian. Isabella, his business partners Nick and George Pagonis, beverage director Taha Ismail, and CFO Johannes Allender were sued by a former employee in March for “extraordinary sexual harassment”. Though the company later settled the suit for undisclosed financial terms, the damage was largely done. As we reported in September:

Following the news of the suit, four of Isabella’s restaurants closed in as many months: Graffiato locations in Richmond and D.C., Requin in the Mosaic District, and, most recently, the Isabella Eatery food hall in Tysons Galleria just last month. Additionally, the Washington Nationals removed his food stands from Nationals Park; Eater and the Washington Post have omitted his restaurants from their dining guides; and colleagues, including his longtime publicist and the chef at two of his restaurants, have severed ties.

“Under the present circumstances, I am facing the sad realization that I no longer believe that any restaurant associated with my name can recover from the negative press that has enveloped me for nearly the entirety of 2018,” Isabella said in Wednesday’s bankruptcy filing, per Washingtonian. “Despite my efforts to move on from the past and focus on restructuring my businesses, I believe that the likelihood of the restaurants succeeding in the future after the losses they have experienced this year is, at best, remote.”

Isabella now says that following a steady decline in revenue, his properties do not have the funds to pay their December rents.

Most of Isabella’s remaining restaurants will close on December 27 (Isabella asked the court to allow them to remain open through the holidays). Two of those eight restaurants were left out of both bankruptcy filings—Requin at The Wharf and Kapnos Kouzina in Bethesda—and their fate is unclear.

And there’s one outpost that will definitely be staying open, at least for now: the National airport location of Kapnos. It is operated by a third party that licenses the name.

Here’s the breakdown of the state of Isabella’s properties this year:

  • Arroz: Closing on Dec. 27. CLOSED. The Spanish-leaning restaurant—Isabella’s ninth to open—was the one that notably prompted the Washington Post to ponder in 2017, “Is he the next José Andrés?”
  • G: Closing on Dec. 27. The sandwich-focused restaurant next to Kapnos was a favorite of Post critic Tom Sietsema.
  • Graffiato D.C.: CLOSED. The Chinatown restaurant, the first in Isabella’s empire, closed in July after the landlord sued for unpaid rent.
  • Graffiato Richmond: CLOSED. The Richmond outpost of the Italian brand closed in June after four years in business.
  • Isabella Eatery: CLOSED. Isabella’s enormous and highly anticipated food hall shuttered in August.
  • Kapnos: Closing on Dec. 27. The Greek restaurant was a staple on 14th Street since 2013.
  • Kapnos Taverna Arlington: Closing on Dec. 27. CLOSED
  • Kapnos Taverna College Park: CLOSED. The Greek restaurant shuttered on Dec. 1, following a lawsuit from its landlord over unpaid rent.
  • Kapnos Kouzina: TBD. The Bethesda restaurant is one of two Isabella properties excluded from both bankruptcy filings. It’s not clear whether those will remain open.
  • Pepita: Closing on Dec. 27. CLOSED. Isabella’s “foray into mexican small plates” opened in Ballston in 2015 to middling reviews.
  • Requin: TBD. Since it was not named in Mike Isabella Concepts’ bankruptcy filings, it’s not clear if the French restaurant at The Wharf will remain open.
  • Requin Brasserie Mosaic: CLOSED. After two-and-a-half years in business, the original Requin in Virginia shut its doors in April. It was the first of Isabella’s properties to fold following the sexual harassment allegations broke in the Washington Post. Ian and Eric Hilton will open a new eatery in the space, Washingtonian reported this week.
  • Yona: Closing on Dec. 27. CLOSED. The Japanese noodle bar in Arlington opened in 2015.
  • Kapnos, Catchfly, G at Nationals Park: CLOSED. The team cut Isabella’s three eateries from the ballpark in March following the sexual harassment allegations.
  • Kapnos Taverna at National Airport: will remain open.The airport restaurant is operated by a company called HMS Host that licenses the Kapnos and Isabella names. According to a Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority spokesperson, HMS will continue to operate the restaurant for the time being. The Taylor Gourmet, which has a similar arrangement at its DCA location, is still serving sandwiches despite the company’s very public meltdown earlier this year.