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Saison will close Dec. 12 after 10 years in business. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Saison Market will close as well. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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A Carolina Gold rice bowl from Saison (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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Saison has received accolades for its cocktail program over the years. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
In the food and beverage industry, there’s no manual that explains when or how to close a restaurant. There is no common exit strategy or end-of-the road benchmark signaling definitively that the time has come.
The decision is one that restaurateurs must reach themselves — ideally with grace, and ideally on their own terms. On Dec. 12, Jackson Ward bar and restaurant Saison and the adjacent Saison Market will close their doors, and for owner Jay Bayer, the closure is his way of marking the restaurant’s 10th anniversary.
Jay Bayer in 2014 (File photo by Jay Paul)
“I’m incredibly proud of everything we’re doing; it just honestly feels like the right time, and you don’t really get a chance to make a decision like this too often, the ability to put a bow on it say, ‘Thank you for 10 years,’ and just in our own way being able to say bye,” Bayer says.
Opening at Marshall and Adams streets in 2012 from Bayer and then co-owner and chef Adam Hall, Saison was part of a new wave of Richmond dining, helping to usher in an era marked by national press, with local, seasonal produce as the norm. From its debut, its vivacious offerings and employees showed promise, and it went on to set a new standard.
“From the beginning Saison always felt like an open place for people to enjoy some well-made food and drinks, and it is because of the staff that worked there,” says Justin Ayotte, longtime beverage director who was with Saison from its first days until the beginning of 2020.
Prior to the restaurant opening, the bar crew spent 80 hours training, traveling to Washington, D.C., to cover everything from fermentation to the distillation process and completing a timed classic cocktail-making exam. Helming the beverage program at the time was cicerone Chris Elford, who created an atmosphere in which people felt energized to learn more, most gaining foundational skills that stuck with them post-Saison.
“Saison inspired a lot of folks in Richmond’s industry to level up and to challenge themselves and their perceptions of what a cocktail can be,” says mixologist and former employee Shannon Hood. “It was a gateway into the world of mezcal, Italian bitters, agrichole rhum and so many incredible beers. There was a special moment in time when I believe Saison was the place to sneak peek the next bar trends in Richmond, and that is 100% because of the patrons who challenged us to keep creating and the staff who could not help but keep creating.”
The yearbooks of Saison and Saison Market are filled with talented industry leaders such as Longoven’s Sophia Kim, wine guru Virginia Samsel and former Brenner Pass Beverage Director James Kohler, to name a few. For many the business would serve as a launching point, and for guests it was a choose-your-own-adventure destination.
“It was a starting place for a lot of our guests, who became interested in the industry from their time coming to the bar and getting excited about learning more and seeking out jobs in the industry,” says Kohler, who worked at Saison from 2013 to 2017.
Originally a regular, he ended up joining the team to help open the market after sparking up a conversation with Bayer at the restaurant. Rolling out its neighboring concept in 2014, Saison was ahead of the pandemic-driven neighborhood market surge, boasting a frozen drink machine before it was the cool thing to do and introducing patrons to its beloved chicken biscuit.
Although Saison’s cocktail program has often been in the limelight, its food deserves the same acclaim. Paying homage to both Latin American and Southern foodways, oxtail sopes and fried chicken harmoniously share a place on the menu. Seasonal ingredients have always reigned supreme, and dishes strike a balance between simple refinement and boundary-pushing intrigue. Serving everything from a burger with bone marrow mayonnaise — deemed one of the best in the country — to a whole branzino, Saison never failed to surprise.
“It wasn’t a difficult place to be; you knew you could trust whatever you didn’t recognize, all the ingredients in the cocktails or on the menu, but you had trust in the creators there to do something delicious,” Bayer says. “That kind of trust was always inspiring to us, too.”
Its ability to morph into whatever diners desired was part of Saison’s allure. Tables for two beckoned couples on date night, while the no-frills bar invited everyone from familiar regulars to those seeking a post-shift hopped G&T. The vibe ranged from warm and romantic to energetic and, maybe in the beginning, a smidge rowdy.
A year after opening, Saison was named one of 75 Places to Watch by Imbibe magazine.
In the early days, former general manager of both Saison and Saison Market Sara Kerfoot, also Hall’s wife, would hold cocktail classes in the basement of Bayer’s house in Byrd Park; her calm demeanor and work ethic garnered her an Elby nomination for Most Valuable Staffer. In 2019, Chef de Cuisine Thomas Owens earned an Elby Award for Rising Chef. And in 2020, Hall and Kerfoot left to pursue their own venture, The Feed Store barbecue spot in Maidens.
“For a time, Saison was home,” Hood says. “It was a tiny, dark, warm, welcoming place that inspired me and a lot of us in the industry. Nothing lasts forever, but my memories there sure will.”
“For me, it’s a peaceful thing,” Bayer says. “This is a closing of a chapter in my professional life, and I’m really happy that it’s been able to provide so many memories for so many people.”
With a lease renewal approaching, Bayer explains, he didn’t want to commit to another five years and instead hopes to pursue other projects. Also co-owner of Bingo Beer Co., he promises that he’s not leaving the industry but instead doubling down on that sudsy venture.
“I’ll be able to spend that much more time over here and help this thing grow,” he says of Bingo. “I’m excited to continue with my first passion in beer and continue to grow this and hopefully create more fun things for Richmonders to enjoy each others’ company in.”
Last Meals
“Without doubt, Adam Hall’s Crispy Carolina Rice Bowl. I dream about it. I talk about it at least once a week. I have shed tears knowing that it is very likely that I will never taste it again. I would pair it with Chris Elford’s End of Days [cocktails] or one of James Kohler’s hopped G&Ts. It’s hard to say. To sit at Sara Kerfoot’s bar again and watch her absolute grace building a cocktail — I’ll have a Cincuenta! I can’t pick!” —Shannon Hood
“My last meal would be chicken a la brasa, some oxtail sopes, and a hopped gin and tonic.” —James Kohler
“Adam’s food was so good, but those chicken wings were unmatched. I haven’t stopped thinking about them, and I miss them.” —Justin Ayotte
