JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local celebrity chef’s Springfield restaurant has closed its doors two years after opening.
Chef Kenny Gilbert’s Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar posted on its Facebook page that “Reduced guest traffic, inflation and employee turnover played a key part in this closure as well as some other personal issues.”
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Action News Jax’s Chandler Morgan spoke with Gilbert in 2022 as he was opening the restaurant when a call from Oprah Winfrey, who he has cooked for many times, inspired him to press on.
“I feel like that was kind of God saying you already have something right in front of you just take it and just run with it,” he said at the time.
Comments on the Facebook post about the closure seemed to be hopeful for Gilbert’s next culinary move, with people saying things like, “Hope to see you poppin back up soon,” and “Looking forward to your next venture.”
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