McCormick & Schmick's restaurant in Providence closes

CORRECTION: The original version of this story placed Cathedral Avenue in the wrong neighborhood.

PROVIDENCE -- The McCormick & Schmick’s steakhouse and seafood restaurant chain's downtown location is closed for good, according to a notice posted on its door.

The restaurant was in the Graduate Providence hotel on Dorrance Street. The Graduate, formerly the Biltmore, also used to host a Starbucks, which is now a coffee shop called Poindexter.

Landry’s Inc., parent company of McCormick & Schmick’s, issued a statement Monday morning saying it closed at the end of the day Saturday "due to our natural lease expiration."

"We are grateful for the support of the local community and loyal patrons. We value our employees, their dedication to our company and are working to relocate them. The employees that made the decision not to relocate will receive a severance check," said the satement from Howard Cole, chief operating officer.

Opened in 2004, the restaurant became the 51st in the McCormick & Schmick's chain that was co-founded by Providence native Bill McCormick. He grew up on Cathedral Avenue in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

The chain was sold to Landry's in 2011.

The Graduate could not be reached for comment.

The conversion from the Biltmore to Graduate Providence has not been without controversy: The new hotel originally adorned rooms with pictures of the late former mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr., but then removed them after "feedback" from the public.