What happened with Craft, chef Tom Colicchio?

Tom Colicchio will close Craft after 25 years

Tom Colicchio said he will close Craft, his New York flagship restaurant, after 25 years in operation. In explaining the decision, he pointed to changes in both restaurant operations and the type of clientele over the last couple of years.

The development matters because Craft was long positioned as a signature destination for fine dining, and its closure signals how difficult it can be for legacy restaurants to adapt to shifting demand, costs, and expectations. For diners, it means the window to experience the menu and atmosphere at the original concept is shrinking.

Although specific dates for the shutdown weren’t provided in the available details, the key takeaway is that Colicchio attributed the closure to the broader change in the restaurant’s environment—particularly how running the business and serving guests has evolved.

For the wider food scene, the closing also reflects a broader theme: high-profile restaurants that helped define a city’s culinary identity may face pressure when their client mix and operating realities shift. Even with strong brand recognition, owners still need to match pricing, staffing, and programming to what diners will reliably spend on.

If you want to plan ahead, the practical next step is to keep an eye out for announcement-style updates around the restaurant’s final service window, since closure timing wasn’t specified in the provided material.