After 24 years on Healdsburg’s square, Ralph’s Bistro has closed.
Owner Ralph Tingle sold the restaurant just days ago to financial/winery magnate Bill Foley.
“It’s emotional for me, after 24 years, but I need a clean slate,” said Tingle, who called the purchase “unorthodox” in its speed. With just a few days notice, Tingle said he was “emptying the bar” and eating the last of his famous shoestring fries with friends on the final night of the bistro, while locals ponder what’s coming next for the space.
Foley has confirmed the sale, though he said there are still a few ends to be tied up. He plans to close the restaurant for about three months for upgrades, and reopen space with a “retro” feel. No names for the restaurant yet, but the awesome Shane McAnelly of Chalkboard (which Foley also owns) will be heading up the menu.
Tingle attempted to sell the restaurant a year ago, but the transaction fell through. He then revamped the menu and re-opened as Ralph’s Martini Bar. But despite the changes, his heart has really been in a new project–the roadhouse he’s been working on north of the square. Tingle hopes to open the that sometime this summer.
But for the time being Tingle said he’s happy to just “walk into the sunset with a smile.”
Congrats.