Somerville Restaurant To Close At The End Of The Year

SOMERVILLE, MA — A Union Square restaurant will close its doors later this year after eight years in business.

Saus at Bow Market announced that it will close in December as its owners prepare to pursue new plans. The restaurant at 1 Bow Market Way has not yet determined its final day of service.

“Between our Boston location and this one, Chin and I (Tanya) have been doing this for 15 years. It’s been a privilege, a wonderful dream, an emotional rollercoaster,” owners Tanya Walker and Chin Kuo said in a statement. “We grew our tiny business from one restaurant to two.”

Saus first opened in 2011 at 33 Union St. near Faneuil Hall in Boston. The business was founded by Walker, Kuo and Renee Eliah after the three lost their jobs at a software startup during the recession. Kuo and Eliah were 2008 Boston University graduates, and the founders received help from friends, family and BU lecturer Greg Collier as they worked to open the restaurant.

The original restaurant centered on Belgian street food, including hand-cut french fries, waffles, and homemade dipping sauces. Saus received Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston award for fries in three consecutive years from 2012 through 2014. The Boston location closed in 2024 after 13 years.

Saus expanded to Somerville in 2018, introducing an entirely vegetarian version of its original concept. The Bow Market restaurant celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, after initially operating with limited hours and a limited menu. Its opening offerings included vegetarian poutine with miso-mushroom gravy, plant-based burgers and hot dogs, tofu, falafel, and grain bowls.

The restaurant’s current menu includes french fries, poutine, loaded fries, plant-based chicken nuggets, salads, and sandwiches. Burger options include a house-made veggie burger and an Impossible French Onion burger. Its dipping sauces include truffle ketchup, curry ketchup, roasted garlic, and dill pickle ranch.

In their announcement, Walker and Kuo credited Bow Market with providing a support system of neighboring small business owners. They highlighted collaborations with Remnant Brewing for St. Patrick’s Day and Buenas for SoupFest, along with participation in FluffFest, vintage markets, and the market’s Renaissance fair.

“Opening our Bow Market location was the most fun,” the owners said. “Instead of being one small restaurant, on our own, fighting to be relevant, we were now part of a community.”

The owners said the decision comes as they prepare to move on after 15 years operating the two restaurants.

“We made real friendships, learned a lot from the other businesses, and made some core memories,” the owners said. “And as sad as we are to close this chapter of our lives, it’s time to move on. We have new dreams to chase.”

The owners plan to hold a celebration on the restaurant’s final day of service. The final day of operation has not yet been determined.

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