Lizzy Alfs

lalfs@tennessean.com

Funky fast-casual seafood restaurant The Hook is closing Monday, less than 10 months after it debuted on Eighth Avenue South.

The Hook owner Reed Hospitality Group plans to pivot its attention to a new, yet-to-be-named restaurant concept that will open in the building at 2222 8th Ave. S. in early 2017.

The restaurant group plans to reveal more details about the new concept in the coming weeks.

The closure signifies a transitional period for the young but already successful Nashville restaurant group, which also owns nearby upscale eatery Sinema and has partial ownership of coffee company Eighth & Roast.

The Hook opened to fanfare in February with celebrity chef Dale Levitski — former executive chef at Sinema — at the helm. Levitski parted ways with the restaurant group in March, one week after he was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

The Hook brought a new dining destination to the fast-growing 8th Avenue South/Melrose neighborhood, where a flood of new apartments have been built in recent years or are currently under construction.

The whimsically designed restaurant is hard to miss with its bright blue and yellow exterior. Fishhooks, lures, oars and rigging are incorporated into the interior design.

The menu was built mostly around fish and chicken, with plenty of fried options and global inspirations. It was a chef-driven, fast-casual concept where customers ordered their food at the counter.

The team behind Reed Hospitality Group said The Hook just wasn’t resonating enough with customers, even though people were enjoying the food and reviews were largely positive. (Read The Tennessean’s review of The Hook here)

The restaurant came online during a year of unprecedented growth in Nashville’s restaurant industry. Local restaurateurs are expanding at a rapid pace while chefs from across the U.S. are planting their flags in Music City.

The Reed family said they remain committed to the 8th Avenue South/Melrose neighborhood, where the group has had a foothold since it opened Sinema in the historic former Melrose theater in 2014.

“We continue to be excited by the shift that is taking place in our neighborhood. The surge in housing construction makes the 8th Ave community one of the fastest growing in the city and requires us to provide a different food and beverage offering,” Ed Reed, managing director of Reed Hospitality Group, said in a statement. “We will transform the menu and decor into something that the neighborhood will really embrace. Stay tuned."

Talented chef Vasisht Ramasubramanian, better known as Chef V, has been leading the kitchen at The Hook, but now he plans to leave Reed Hospitality Group to pursue other opportunities, according to the statement.

"As we move in this direction, Chef V will be leaving our business to pursue other opportunities. We thank him for his work and can’t wait to see what he does next. We also thank our loyal customers and staff, and cannot wait to welcome them back into the space,” Ed Reed said.

Sam Reed said several employees from The Hook will have the option to transfer to Sinema. Every employee can reapply to work at the new concept when it opens early next year.

Reach Lizzy Alfs at 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.