The famed restaurateur's North Shore restaurant is closing after just a year in business

Restaurants

The Rudder is the latest from Barbara Lynch.

Rudder in Gloucester, the latest restaurant from embattled restaurateur and chef Barbara Lynch, has closed just over a year after opening.

Lynch announced the closure on social media, saying, “After three years in the beautiful space on Rocky Neck, I have made the very personal decision to close The Rudder, effective immediately.”

“I want to thank the community for all of their support,” Lynch continued. “Gloucester has always been very close to my heart and will remain so.”

Rudder serves seafood and American classics and is nestled among some of America's oldest art galleries. Overlooking the harbor, it was Lynch's first restaurant in over a decade to open after numerous delays.

Lynch's career has faced significant upheaval in recent years.

Last year she was accused of fostering a toxic work culture. Her restaurant group, the Barbara Lynch Collective, was also sued by former employees who claimed tips were illegally diverted from employees.

In January, Lynch announced a “reorganization” of her restaurants, closing three restaurants and selling two.

Menton, Sportello and Drink, all located next to each other on Congress Street in the Fort Point neighborhood of South Boston, closed, and Butcher Shop and Stir, both in the South End, were sold.

No. 9 Park on Beacon Hill and B&G Oysters in the South End are now the only two remaining restaurants in the Barbara Lynch Collective.

Lynch, one of Time The magazine is one of the most influential people of 2017 and is the winner of several James Beard Foundation Awards. She opened her first restaurant, No. 1, in 1998. 9 Park, and continued to open innovative eateries in the Boston area.

It finally expanded to the North Shore with the opening of The Rudder last spring.

In a statement shared with the globe Last year, Lynch said: “I have defied the odds as a chef for 25 years, opening eight award-winning restaurants,” she said. “I will not allow these recent attacks from my critics to destroy what I have built. I love what I do and I’m determined to move forward and grow by helping more chefs achieve excellence.”

The Barbara Lynch Collective did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

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Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter at Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime and business in the New England region.

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