Somerville's Spoke Wine Bar to Close in December

SOMERVILLE, MA – A popular Davis Square wine bar and highly acclaimed industry darling will close at the end of this year.

Spoke Wine Bar will permanently shut its doors on December 22, owner Felisha "Flea" Foster wrote in a lengthy Facebook post in which she thanked each member of her staff, as well as her customers.

"There’s no other way to say this, except to say it," she wrote. "We’ve had a very good run. But now it is done."

Foster previously revealed in February that she was battling ALS, and cited her serious health issues as the reason behind Spoke's closure.

"[A]s any of you in this industry who are owners/operators know, this is not an ideal way to run a business," Foster wrote. "This is especially true for someone like me whose goal was to not only discover amazing wine, but to be in the trenches every night sharing this experience with each and every one of my guests and staff."

Read Foster's statement in full below:

Dear Friends, Guests, Neighbors, and Colleagues,
This is a tough one.
On December 22, 2016, Spoke will close its doors.
There’s no other way to say this, except to say it. We’ve had a very good run. But now it is done.
As all of you know I have been dealing with very serious health issues. For many months I have tried to remain at the helm from afar. However, as any of you in this industry who are owners/operators know, this is not an ideal way to run a business. This is especially true for someone like me whose goal was to not only discover amazing wine, but to be in the trenches every night sharing this experience with each and every one of my guests and staff.
It is a testament to my incredible staff that they have managed to soldier on without me for so long. Every single one of them (and I am going to name them here) deserves prodigious praise and gratitude. Chef John daSilva, General Manager Jen Gifford, Chef de Cuisine Ben Sorter, Chef Kevin Gravito, Chef Nolan Gannon-Shannon, Hospitality Manager Molly Loveday-daSilva, Assistant Wine Buyer Liz Mann, Bartenders Hannah Moore, Ben Parsons, and Chris Danforth, Prep Cook Diego Mogollon, the hardest working dishwasher ever, Luis Venegas, and our indomitable floor staff including PJ Eastman, Gail Shalan, Khanh Vien, and Elisha Siegel (who really stepped up when Molly took maternity leave). All the new hires I was never fortunate enough to meet. My dear friend Dave Jick, who helped me start Spoke, and who has been one of my biggest supporters. Each of these people are friends and heroes for their professionalism and tremendous hard work. When all is finished and the doors close, each one of them will move on to incredible new pursuits (and perhaps a few well-deserved vacations) and they have earned my eternal love and gratitude.
And thanks to all of you, our guests and neighbors, for making Spoke such a wonderful place. We could not have done this without you. It is my hope that all of you will continue to support us with your patronage and your good will until the end. I maintain faith that someone in the industry will buy the restaurant and continue what we started.
In the meantime, it will be business as usual. Nothing will change. Spoke will continue to provide you with the same great wine, food, and service that you have grown accustom to.
Hope to see you here soon,
Flea Foster

Photo: Flavio, Flickr Commons