Society Fair threw a desperation pass in February when it asked the community to help the social hub for epicureans continue operating. But it wasn’t enough. Co-owner Nadine Brown confirms to City Paper that yesterday was Society Fair’s last day of business. EatGoodFood Group opened the business in 2012 and Brown and Dan Fisher began operating it about a year and a half ago.

“Dan and I decided on Sunday,” she says. “It has been difficult. The summer slow down, the relentless rain, the Metro closures in Alexandria, and more were the last straw.”

Fisher and Brown hoped to raise $50,000 on their GoFundMe page, which they believed would give them breathing room to continue operating. They ended up raising $7,825.

“We could have borrowed more money and tried to soldier on, but I know this would have happened anyway,” Brown says. “I have no regrets.”

She’s not playing the blame game. “The Alexandria scene has grown so much,” she says. “We had an amazing landlord, who I would love to highlight, and a great community. Other Alexandria restaurateurs lent their time and advice to Dan and I for no reason [other] than to help. We are grateful.”

Before taking over Society Fair, Brown was the longtime wine director at Charlie Palmer Steak. She says she’s interested in returning to D.C., but first, she says she’ll take her first vacation in four years. 

Society Fair, 277 S Washington St., Alexandria; (703) 683-3247; societyfair.net