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Heavy Restaurant Group to Close Three Bellevue Locations

The restaurant operator will close Purple Bellevue, Lot No. 3 and Cast Iron Studios due to the pandemic.

By Nat Rubio-Licht August 28, 2020

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Heavy Restaurant Group will permanently close three Bellevue eateries due to the coronavirus pandemic.  

The Seattle-based restaurant operator will close Purple Bellevue, Lot No. 3 and Cast Iron Studios. Despite the restaurants doing well before the pandemic, Covid-19 caused the group to “reconsider the mid-long term viability” of the Bellevue Towers locations, Heavy Restaurant Group Founder and CEO Larry Kurofsky said. 

The 14,500-square-foot restaurant spaces were originally meant for group dining and events, which have been prohibited by Washington state laws due to the pandemic. The cost was too high for Heavy Restaurant Group to adapt to coronavirus restrictions.  

The three restaurants had operated in Bellevue Towers since 2009. The restaurant group still has six locations open for outdoor dining, takeout and delivery: Purple Woodinville, The Commons, Meet The Moon, Barrio, Fiasco and Pablo y Pablo. It plans to reopen the Purple Seattle location in late September.

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