Hampden's Dogwood Restaurant Closed, Owners Confirm

A mainstay on 36th Street has closed its doors for good.

Dogwood Restaurant, formerly located at 911 W. 36th Street, has been shuttered since Sunday, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Owner Galen Sampson posted to the business' Facebook page early Monday morning confirming the closure.

"The Dogwood Restaurant is grateful to the Baltimore Community for its tremendous support over the past seven years. At The Dogwood, we tried to do something innovative and risky, and the city and its people have always supported us. We are very grateful to you," Sampson wrote on the business' Facebook page. "Unfortunately, we had to close the doors of the restaurant today, Saint Patrick's Day, Sunday March 17th 2013 because the business can no longer support itself."

The Baltimore Sun reported Monday that the business will be able to pay employees the wages they are due.

The restaurant, which was founded in 2007, has reopened twice after extended closings, the Sun reports.

This time though, it looks like they're gone for good.

Sampson wrote on Facebook that he will be working on an organic farm outside Charlottesville, VA for the coming growing season and his wife Bridgette, who hasn't been involved in Dogwood for nearly a year, will focus on writing fiction.

Did you dine at Dogwood? Will you miss the restaurant now that it's gone? Share your thoughts and your memories in the comments below.

The full text of Sampson's post on Facebook is below:

The Dogwood Restaurant closes March 17th 2013

The Dogwood Restaurant is grateful to the Baltimore Community for its tremendous support over the past seven years. At The Dogwood, we tried to do something innovative and risky, and the city and its people have always supported us. We are very grateful to you. Unfortunately, we had to close the doors of the restaurant today, Saint Patrick's Day, Sunday March 17th 2013 because the business can no longer support itself.

We have had the best staff in the world, and we tried to keep going for as long as we could for them and for their uncompromising commitment to quality and to hospitality. We love them all very much and are extremely thankful for their support, their loyalty, and their friendship. We wish we could have kept it going for them forever.

Special thanks to Jack Elsby, General Manager and friend extraordinaire, Margaret Konstantas, Office Manager, calm and strong, always dependable and kind presence, and Dusty Sullivan, our talented Kitchen Manager. Hats off to our whole staff who have become like family to us. We will miss being together.

We also must thank our investors and all of those who have supported our mission. We hope that the good work accomplished at The Dogwood will someday and in someway reward them all.

My wife, Bridget, has not been involved with the restaurant for nearly a year. She is focusing on her love: fiction writing, and I will be working on Bellair Farm, an organic farm outside of Charlottesville for this growing season.

However, nothing will ever bring us the joy and the heartache, the fun and the challenge that The Dogwood did. The restaurant and all who supported it will remain in our hearts. The Dogwood pursued the ideal of being a good restaurant that also helped people who were trying to change their lives.

We believe that the individuals who transformed their lives with The Dogwood's help and the moments of profound community we shared with all of you celebrating food and wine are among the greatest successes one can experience in life.

Many thanks to all of you,

Galen Sampson