Unable to ‘survive’ downtown, this huge Boise restaurant and bar destination will close

A large restaurant, bar and entertainment destination will shutter after a three-year run in downtown Boise.

House of Western, 610 W. Idaho St., is closing at the end of the night Saturday.

“We will miss you, Boise!” it wrote on social media.

Launched in 2021 as Western Proper, the 10,500-square foot space rebranded last year as House of Western. In its most recent shakeup in July, it split into three concepts. “It’s so big,” owner Cary Prewitt told the Idaho Statesman, “that one concept doesn’t necessarily fit.”

But the overhaul wasn’t enough. A lack of business forced the decision to close, Prewitt said in a phone interview Thursday.

“I don’t know anybody that’s not down double digits from last year downtown,” he said. “And I know a lot of people that are down 30%. The fact of the matter is, if you want local restaurants to survive downtown, we need to be going to them more often.”

All three concepts inside the space are being shuttered. Due West, a fine dining restaurant, greets patrons on the left when they enter. The National, a bistro and bar, is on the right. In the rear, House of Western offers a fun, casual experience with mini-bowling lanes, arcade games, TVs and a menu focusing on sports pub fare.

Prior to opening as Western Proper, the space had been empty since restaurant chain The Old Spaghetti Factory closed there in 2013.

House of Western is a sister operation to Western Collective, 111 W. 33rd St., a brewery and tap room that continues to operate in Garden City.

Prewitt said that House of Western’s demise wasn’t “for lack of trying.”

“We took a shot on a larger space downtown, and the fact of the matter is, we couldn’t get the numbers to work. We’re proud of the effort we made and appreciate everybody’s support, and hope everybody will come out by Saturday and support us one last time.

“We are excited to keep the brewery, Western Collective,” he added, “and to continue to be seen as one of the premier breweries and establishments to visit in the valley.”