ASTORIA — Popular Eastern European restaurant Bear — known for Russian and Ukrainian fare like borscht and pierogies — will close its doors this week after five years in the neighborhood, its owners said.
Opened by siblings Natasha and Sasha Pogrebinsky in November 2011, the owners announced the eatery's closure on Facebook over the weekend, saying they declined to renew the restaurant's lease in order to "take a break personally so we can live life a little bit."
"Ask anyone who is a restaurateur and they will tell you, when you own a restaurant it becomes your life," the post said.
"Running a restaurant, or any small business in this city, is truly an all-consuming endeavor, and we feel that after five years a nice break is not too much to ask."
Local blog We Heart Astoria was first to report on the eatery's closure.
Located on 31st Avenue between 12th and 14th streets, Bear didn't see the same foot traffic as eateries along busier Astoria commercial corridors, but still became a popular dining spot for those coming to and from Socrates Sculpture Park and other sites along the waterfront.
Chef Natasha Pogrebinsky made a name for herself after appearing on the Food Network shows "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay," and earned accolades for her Russian- and Ukrainian-influenced menu. The space was also known for its extensive vodka list and giant bloody marys.
Pogrebinsky told DNAinfo Monday that die-hard Bear fans can still get a taste of the eatery in Brooklyn, as she and her brother are the "culinary creative team" at The Starlight, a new restaurant that recently opened in Williamsburg.
Bear will be closed this week but will have its final goodbye party on Thursday night, according to Pogrebinsky. The restaurant served its last full dinner service Sunday, and she was touched by the number of patrons who stopped by to show their support.
"This was something I wanted to do my whole life, and I did it — and it also meant so much to all these other people," Pogrebinsky said. "That was the unexpected side effect from this restaurant."
She said they aren't done with western Queens, and hope to reopen in the neighborhood sometime down the road.
"We don't have a concrete location or concrete plans yet," she said. "[But] we'll be back and we will do another Bear."
