Award winning bistro and wine bar in Bedford falls victim to COVID economic hardships
Bedford’s award-winning neighborhood bistro and wine bar Bizzi’s won’t reopen at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Restaurant owner Elaine Vaught said the decision to close the 2016 Wine Spectator’s “Where to Drink Well” award-winner was the result of economic hardships from the pandemic.
Out of concern for the health of staff and guests, Vaught decided close March 14 until the virus was under control. Last week, Tarrant County’s COVID-19 numbers broke records.
It wasn’t an easy decision to close the restaurant. Vaught said her love for the regulars, who often made each day at the establishment feel like an episode of “Cheers,” made it a heart-breaking choice.
The restaurant opened in 2011 with the concept of simply serving good wine, cheeses and bread. Vaught, 57 at the time, and her family had no experience running a restaurant.
It was a tough beginning but Vuaght said they did their research and found a routine that worked well for them after a few months.
She was retired from Bell Helicopter but had always thought it would be cool to run a wine bar. While she’s not sure Bizzi’s ever turned a profit for the family, Vaught said she’s happy with what they accomplished and the bonds they made with customers. She’s especially proud of their ability to pay employees what she considered a living wage the whole life of the business.
Work also took the owners all around the world to taste wines and eat gourmet foods. Vaught said their bests experiences were probably tasting their way through France, Canada and the American wineries along the west coast.
Between those trips and tastings with vendors who came into the wine bar, Vaught said she tasted more than 10,000 wines.
In a Nov. 11 Facebook post to their customers, Vaught said the family is lucky even as the business closes: her mother, children and grandchildren are all healthy and they’ve had unforgettable experiences.
“We got to do exceptional things I never would have gotten to do otherwise,” Vaught said. “For us, we kind of leaned into something that I am definitely a risk averse person and I think this was probably the biggest risk I’ve ever taken and that came with a great reward. I’ve never eaten or drank as well.”
And Vaught, 66, said she’s already found her next adventure.
She is going to nursing school to get another degree.