Sonoma Saveurs foie gras shop closes

In the end, Sonoma Saveurs, the controversial foie gras emporium and restaurant that drew the ire of animal rights activists and was targeted by vandals, didn't close last week because of any organized boycott. The reason was purely economic -- slow business.

The restaurant, on the Plaza in Sonoma, featured a menu with duck and foie gras items, as well as other French fare. They also sold products made from foie gras, as well as salads and other take-out foods.

The partnership included Junny and Guillermo Gonzalez, who own Sonoma Foie Gras; French lawyer Didier Jaubert and his wife, Leslie; and Aqua chef Laurent Manrique and his wife, Cathinka.

The chef was Mary Dumont, who left in November. About 15 employees lost their jobs due to the closure.

Manrique, citing increased responsibilities for the restaurants in the Aqua group, had left in December.

"I was here every day," says Junny Gonzalez.

"I'm glad to be able to spend more time with my family now," adding that the expenses of opening the restaurant-shop in a 142-year-old historic building will never be recouped.

Her husband is more circumspect. Guillermo Gonzalez says they are considering options such as selling the business or finding a managing partner and reopening.

The Gonzalezes say that because of a law that prohibits the production and sale of foie gras in California starting in 2012, they must cease producing foie gras at their Modesto farm in 7 1/2 years.

"Junny and I are not restaurateurs . . . we need to focus our efforts on Sonoma Foie Gras," he says.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/09/FDGDJB6VUT1.DTL

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some history:
Aug 19, 2003
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/08/19/MN245934.DTL
Aug 22, 2003
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/08/22/BA266523.DTL
Sept 1, 2003 report
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_35_37/ai_108278892
Sept 28, 2003
http://www.animalrights.net/archives/year/2003/000379.html
Oct 21, 2003
http://www.upc-online.org/ducks/102103sue.htm
Nov 19, 2003 report
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/11/19/BAGBD35L431.DTL
Dec 19, 2003 report
http://www.sonomanews.com/articles/2003/12/19/news/top_stories/news04.txt
Feb 10, 2004 report
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/02/10/MNG7T4SRV71.DTL