CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Employees and customers were left in the dark after a high-end steakhouse in Madisonville abruptly closed.
Alara, located in the $115 million Madison Square mixed-use development, permanently shut its doors without any sort of warning or notice after two years. It was owned by Looking Glass Hospitality Group.
Jose Nevada, a former server at the restaurant, discovered he was out of a job on Monday after finding a message on Open Table.
“A co-worker, his family wanted to make a reservation to come in and dine at the restaurant, and then they got that message on Open Table that the restaurant was closing,” Nevada tells FOX19 NOW.
Alara’s message on Open Table states the following:
Dear Guest,
We regret to inform you that Alara Restaurant has closed effective immediately. This was a difficult decision, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
We would be pleased to accommodate your reservation at Madison Square’s Zingaro Italian Restaurant & Bar, located right next to Alara, at your original reservation time. If you would like to keep your reservation, please contact us at (513) 837-2916 or simply arrive at your scheduled time. Thank you for your understanding.
Nevada says all of his coworkers, including management, were “pretty blindsided” by the closing.
“Alara was a great restaurant. The employees were great at their jobs, it was probably the best restaurant culture I’ve worked in environment-wise, the people are great,” he says. “It’s just a shame they had to lose that not only with very little notice, but also with very little explanation.”
The restaurant’s management team has since sent emails out to employees regarding the closing, Nevada says, and has offered to help find them jobs within the hospitality group’s brand.
FOX19 NOW reached out to Looking Glass Hospitality and Alara but we have not heard back.
The blinds and curtains are drawn inside Madisonville’s Alara after the steakhouse abruptly closed after the weekend.(David Lewis/FOX19 NOW)
Download the FREE FOX19 NOW news app for iPhone
Download the FREE FOX19 NOW news app for Android
As employees were finding out about the restaurant’s closing, customers were too.
Rebecca Meadors, a member of Cincinnati Foodies, says she had a birthday dinner reserved for June 17 at the Chef’s Table. Then she got a message from Alara, saying they were closing.
“Disappointed as I was looking forward to it, and two days ago they were posting ads on their page,” Meadors said.
Meadors direct-messaged the restaurant online, asking if they had closed.
“Hi, Rebecca. I’m looking into this and will get back to you,” the restaurant responded, according to a screenshot of the messages.
“It’s just strange how they were advertising food and the rewards program a few days ago and now no responses, just Open Table saying ‘closed,’” she added in an interview with FOX19 NOW.
On Tuesday afternoon, Alara’s Instagram account vanished.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 WXIX. All rights reserved.
