Volvér, Jose Garces' Kimmel Center restaurant, to close this summer

The performing arts venue will reveal a replacement for its main dining option in the months to come.

Volvér will close when its lease at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts ends in June. The restaurant from celebrity chef Jose Garces has been the venue's main dining option since opening in 2014.
Provided Image/Cashman & Associates

After a 10-year run at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Volvér will close in June to make way for a new food and beverage provider.

The restaurant has been a mainstay of Chef Jose Garces' portfolio, flexing his culinary range with a rotating tasting menu and small plates served from its upscale bar. In recent years, Volvér's chef in residency program highlighted local talent in the city.

A spokesperson for Ideation Hospitality, a division of Ballard Brands, which owns Garces' restaurants, said Volvér is closing at the end of its 10-year lease. Garces Trading Co., the cafe and market that opened at the Kimmel Center last year, closed in January after the sides agreed it had not proven viable at that location. Another Garces Trading Co. opened in the lobby of the Cira Center in University City two years ago.

Since opening in 2014, Volvér has served as the Kimmel Center's destination for pre-show and post-show dining. The entertainment venue is home to the Philadelphia Orchestra and other musical outfits. 

A spokesperson for Ensemble Arts Philly, which owns the Kimmel Center and Miller Theater, said the organization will share updates about its plans to replace Volvér in the coming months.

Once Volvér closes, Garces Events, which has operated out of the Kimmel Center, will move to the Bookbinder's building at 125 Walnut St. in Old City.

The former Garces Group of restaurants was acquired by Ballard Brands after declaring bankruptcy in 2018. The celebrity chef's restaurants include Amada, Village Whisky and Buena Onda, the taco shop that has three Philly locations and one in Radnor. Buena Onda is now expanding Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. as part of a national franchising effort.