Philip Speer’s Restaurant Bonhomie Is Now Closed

Chef Philip Speer’s restaurant, Bonhomie, is now closed, as reported by Austin 360, though he didn’t give an exact reason for the shutter for the 5350 Burnet Road address. The last day of service for the Brentwood restaurant was last night, Sunday, May 20.

The loss of Bonhomie doesn’t mean that Speer isn’t going to stop cooking in Austin. He’s already working on a downtown Austin restaurant, as Eater reported back in April. The unnamed restaurant will feature a cocktail lounge and garden patio right on 5th and Colorado streets. This project is in conjunction with Garage owner William Ball.

Bonhomie, which served a French-bistro/American diner menu and vibe, heralded as the return of Speer in Austin. The former then-Uchi Restaurant Group’s director of culinary operations had announced he was opening the restaurant in 2016 after he stepped away from the Austin culinary scene to deal with his DWI crash and rehabilitation.

Bonhomie opened in March 2017. Speer also ran a coffee and breakfast trailer My Name Is Joe Coffee Co. in February 2017, which donated a portion of its sales towards Serenity Star Recovery’s donation-based restaurant Comfort Cafe in Smithville, as well as hired staffers from the program. The trailer shuttered in March because he wanted to focus on fundraising for the program.

• One of the Top 20 restaurants in Austin closes suddenly [Austin 360]
• Philip Speer Is Opening a New Downtown Restaurant [EATX]
• All Coverage of Bonhomie [EATX]