Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar marks the ‘end of an era’ with closing announcement

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you’ve never had the fried chicken and biscuit sandwich at Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar, unfortunately, you’re out of time.

The Black-owned business founded by Chef Kenny Gilbert closed its doors on Monday after the owner said on Instagram that the restaurant faced many challenges over the past nine months.

“Reduced guest traffic, inflation and employee turnover played a key part in this closure as well as some other personal issues,” Chef Kenny said in the post.

The restaurant opened in November 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Springfield restaurant off 6th and Walnut Street is just another eatery among a host of restaurants in Northeast Florida that have been forced to close.

Although it is the “end of an era” for the restaurant, Chef Kenny was sure to thank the community and his former employees for the support that was poured into Silkie’s over the years.