Chef Geoff's Rockville Has Closed

Chef Geoff's Rockville location has closed its doors.

"The restaurant business is like a game of Russian roulette. I've been playing this game for 15 years successfully, and I just lost on this one," chef and owner Geoff Tracy said in a phone interview. "We did everything we possibly could. My team worked really hard....but with the expenses associated with running a restaurant, we couldn't make it viable."

The restaurant, part of Tracy's group of Chef Geoff's locations, was located at 12256 Rockville Pike. Tracy said he probably should have made the decision to close it a year and a half ago. "But I'm a stubborn fighter, and I really tried to make it work."

The chef and his team are working hard to find positions for the Rockville workers at other restaurants within the group.

The chef, who says he has no new projects on the horizon right now, is facing another closure later this year. December 31 will be the last night of business for Chef Geoff's downtown location. Despite Tracy fighting to remain there, the building is being torn down and redeveloped.

"We'll have a New Year's Eve party there, and I'll have a nice stiff cocktail," Tracy said.