The last year hasn’t been kind to some of the Bay Area’s oldest restaurants. And with the latest news out of Berkeley, the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Cafe Rouge, a pioneer in the Bay Area’s recent butcher shop renaissance, is closing. Owner Marsha McBride confirmed to Inside Scoop that the final day of operations will be Dec. 30.

“It’s bittersweet,” she said.

The shop opened in 1996 and over the course of 20 years, became the standard bearer for restaurant and butcher shop hybrids.

McBride’s influence still reverberates in the local industry. Owners of the Fatted Calf and Local Butcher Shop, as well as Analiesa Gosnell at Clove & Hoof, all trained under her at one point during the last two decades.

Labor shortages, she said, played a major role in the decision to shutter the location.

For the last six months, McBride has been pulling double duty at Cafe Rouge, working in the kitchen and on the floor. Cafe Rouge even ended its partial Monday services because of how often the location was short staffed, McBride said.

“We’ve really just been having a difficult time finding people. It’s gotten harder and harder,” she said.

Another factor in the decision, McBride said, is executive chef Rick DeBeaord’s desire to pursue other projects. The idea of running the space without him wasn’t appealing, she said.

A buyer is already lined up for the space and their plans will have nothing to do with the current butcher shop and restaurant design, she said.

While she is emotional about the closure, McBride said all signs show her it’s the right decision to make.

“It’s just the right time,” she said.