Is Forestview Restaurant Permanently Closing In Depew?

There have been rumors for over a year now that Forestview Restaurant will be permanently closing its doors, but is there truth behind them?

When the initial murmurs were spreading across Western New York, the Forestview team initially denied all rumors about the potential closure. Since then, there has been no further update or any mention about the closure.

However, after a year of seeming tranquility, it looks like Forestview Restaurant may be closing after all.

An employee whistleblower shared the news update in the Lancaster/Depew Neighbors Helping Neighbors Facebook group, along with a screenshot that revealed the plans for Forestview going forward.

“Forestview will be closing their doors Sunday for good,” the anonymous employee wrote. “We received a text message yesterday.. hope to see everyone there one last time.”

Back in May 2022, Forestview was listed online as being available for lease.

Now, it looks like those plans may be moving forward.

Members of the Lancaster/Depew Facebook group were stunned to hear that employees were texted about the news that they wouldn’t have jobs as of this weekend, and in response, the unnamed employee shared a screenshot from someone named Bill, who is assumed to be a manager at the establishment.

The text reads:

“On Sunday, June 23rd, 2024 the Forestview Restaurant will cease operations. This has not been an easy decision; however, it is necessary for us. We would like to thank you for your time and being a part of our team.”

The text also offered potential employment opportunities at the Hillview Restaurant on Transit Rd. The sender, Bill, also offered to be an employee reference going forward for any member of their team.

Employees at Forestview acknowledged that ownership has been talking about this for years, and they knew that one day it would be their last day. They just weren’t expecting it to happen this week.

Rumored Plans From 2022

A report from 2022 shared that the new plan for Forestview may be to turn it into some living spaces and some office space. You can see that report here.

It’s sad to see another Buffalo landmark restaurant closing suddenly, but hopefully there will be a good turnout for their final day of business.