Popular Union Plaza Restaurant The Garden Closes

One of the more popular party spots in the Downtown Union Plaza entertainment district for years has gone out of business.

The Garden closed its doors without warning Sunday (2/19/17), owner John Geske telling ABC-7 competition from new, trendy hot spots in other parts of town and the ongoing road construction making Union Plaza "a little hard to get to" forced him to close the restaurant bar and rethink his business model.

Geske added that he will not be leaving the area, but will instead transform The Garden into an events center.

We're going to give it a fresh coat of paint and buy some new furniture and change the concept and concentrate on weddings, quincineras, brunch weddings, any corporate event -- even a show of sorts -- like if there is a band or DJ that wants to come in. But we won't be a full service restaurant."

The Garden opened in late 2009 and quickly became the hip go-to place to dine, dance and socialize, with popular signature events like The Morning After Champagne Brunch, Wednesday Sushi Night, and the Sunburst Series.

The plan, according to what Geske told the news station, is to reopen on April 1 as The Venue at Union Plaza and begin booking weddings and other events in a few weeks.