Matt Horn, the James Beard award-nominated barbecue pitmaster, has announced the closure of his West Oakland restaurant Kowbird.

Recent reviews on Google say the restaurant went dark in January, with people showing up during normal hours to find it closed. Horn announced the closure in a Feb. 12 email sent by Bay Area PR vet Sam Singer, who quoted Horn:

“The lack of meaningful support for small businesses (in Oakland), the lack of a framework to nurture and sustain us, has taken a toll. No amount of passion can change that reality. It’s disheartening to see how small businesses like ours are overlooked, and it’s even harder to face the financial and emotional toll it takes on the people who make it all happen.”

Horn highlighted his “numerous efforts to address outstanding building violations” and said he had “faced significant challenges in receiving the necessary support from the city to resolve these issues.” He also mentioned an ADA lawsuit, and said “it is important to clarify that the accuser is involved in nearly 200 similar cases across California.”

The chef’s famous Horn Barbecue closed in West Oakland in 2023 after a devastating fire and legal troubles that involved owing money to his former business partner for allegedly unpaid wages and a settlement to his former meat distributor over allegations of unpaid invoices.

Horn opened a new restaurant in Lafayette in December in the former Bo’s Barbecue space, serving his signature West Coast barbecue like brisket, pork ribs and smoked turkey. He said that “to everyone who has stood by us — your loyalty, trust, and encouragement have been the foundation of our success.”