Downtown Restaurant Searsucker Is Now Closed

Searsucker, the downtown restaurant opened by Top Chef contestant and San Diego chef Brian Malarkey, is closed. The last day of service for the 415 Colorado Street restaurant was yesterday, Sunday, June 24.

While no specific reason was given for the shutter, a rep for the restaurant shared the following statement from the Hakkasan Group, which owns Searsucker (while it notes that the shutter was supposed to happen at the end of June, Searsucker is already closed):

As part of our everyday business practice, we are constantly reviewing and analyzing each of our restaurants. While we have been very proud of Searsucker Austin, we have made the decision to close the restaurant at the end of June. Hakkasan Group continues to focus on strategic global expansion in key destinations around the world, and we look forward to bringing new ideas to market. We’d like to thank the Austin community for letting us be a part of this wonderful city for the past five years.

There is no word on what will become of the downtown space. Just around the corner from Searsucker will be chef Philip Speer’s new restaurant.

The New American restaurant Searsucker first opened San Diego in 2010, and expanded with additional locations, including the Austin one in 2013 and one in Las Vegas in 2015.

Malarkey, who oversees several restaurants, sold a majority stake of Searsucker and his other restaurant Herringbone to the Hakkasan Group, a restaurant and nightlife company, in 2014, but had remained involved. He left the two restaurants in March 2018, but kept his equity.

Malarkey formed his own restaurant group with business partner Chris Puffer. Puffer Malarkey Restaurants oversees his San Diego restaurants Herb & Wood, Herb & Eatery, and forthcoming restaurants Herb & Sea, and Animae.

• San Diego Celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey Leaves Searsucker in Austin [EATX]
• All Coverage of Searsucker [EATX]