Hamilton’s Black Forest Inn permanently closed ‘until further notice’

One of Hamilton’s oldest and most beloved restaurants has permanently closed — for now.
The Black Forest Inn announced on social media Friday that the King Street East eatery will not reopen after the summer as planned “due to financial constraints,” adding that it will be “permanently closed until further notice.”
“While we hope this isn’t the end for us, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our valued patrons and customers,” read the post. “We’ve cherished the joy you brought to our lives and hope we’ve been able to do the same for you.”
The website for the restaurant appeared to be offline as of Friday afternoon, with its domain name up for grabs. 
The announcement comes just months after the iconic 58-year-old Bavarian restaurant said it would be temporarily closed for renovations, with plans to reopen on Sept. 4.
“Rest assured that this is not a permanent closure,” read the social media post at that time.
In March, the corporations that own the building and restaurant — both headed by Forge and Foster co-founder Joe Accardi — went into receivership after defaulting on more than $2.5 million owed to TD Bank.
BDO Canada had been appointed receiver and could put the building, which includes upstairs apartment units as well as the restaurant, up for sale if that is deemed necessary.
Restaurant general manager Paul Wells previously told The Spectator the shutdown was expected to be temporary and that it was not linked to the receivership process, but instead to complete work that was needed on the plumbing and washrooms.
Wells said Friday that “the restaurant team is working towards a solution to solve the issues that currently exist.”
He said he could not comment further, directing any additional questions to Accardi. The Spectator reached out to Accardi for comment but did not hear back before deadline.
News of the closure made waves on social media Friday, with hundreds of people lamenting the loss of the eatery best known for its schnitzel platters and traditional vibes. 
Susie Braithwaite, executive director of the International Village BIA, told The Spectator her team was “extremely saddened” by the closure, describing the restaurant as both a “landmark and staple” of the neighbourhood.
“This is a huge loss for our community,” Braithwaite said in a statement. “Over the years, Black Forest Inn has attracted people from all over the world to our BIA and we are heartbroken to lose this iconic business.”
The closure of the Black Forest Inn comes months after documents filed by TD Bank claimed Accardi’s ownership group has recently “gone silent” in response to payment demands.
The lender acknowledged the pandemic and its aftermath “have not been kind to restaurants,” but noted it only applied to the courts to appoint a receiver “after numerous defaults, unfulfilled promises (and) missed payments” by the corporations headed by Accardi and his co-director, brother Mark Accardi.
The brothers, best known as co-founders of investment management firm Forge and Foster, have faced increasing financial challenges and complaints about their companies coming out of the pandemic.
At least three Accardi-linked properties have gone into receivership this year and lenders have gone to court over mortgage defaults on at least a dozen properties in and around Hamilton, in some cases taking ownership as a result.
Forge and Foster was originally involved in renovating six apartments atop the Black Forest Inn after Joe Accardi’s corporation bought the restaurant from longtime owners Wolfgang and Gabi Schoen in 2016 with a promise to maintain the traditional German and Austrian fare and ambience.
The restaurant ran into a series of challenges in recent years, however.
In 2019, three former servers filed a human rights complaint alleging age discrimination. The parties later reached what was jointly described as an “amicable resolution” of the issues, with the former, longtime workers urging customers to continue patronizing the restaurant.
A year later, the pandemic hit.