(Update at 7:20 a.m. Wednesday) BlackFinn American Saloon has permanently closed its doors.
The restaurant’s website made the announcement on Wednesday.
General manager Kam Khazai told us the restaurant had closed Tuesday because of a sewage issue in the dining room, though rumors kept circulating that the prominent Woodmont Triangle bar was about to close for good.
A source told BethesdaNow.com that the restaurant, at 4901 Fairmont Ave., is feeling the financial pinch because of two large apartment construction projects on its block. We also heard the restaurant group that owns the BlackFinn Bethesda location is heading toward bankruptcy.
Owner Paul Derrico could not be reached for comment.
The restaurant’s Facebook and Twitter pages both were taken down and we’re told an all-staff meeting was held shortly after we reported the sewage issue on Tuesday.
The restaurant opened in 2007 on one of Woodmont Triangle’s most prominent corners.
It will surely leave a big hole, one that might not be filled until construction across the street on the 7770 Norfolk Ave. apartment building is finished. The 17-story, 250-unit project is in its early excavation stages and has meant lane closures, lost parking meter spaces and closed sidewalks on Fairmont and Norfolk Avenues.