The popular Foodies restaurants in Richland and Kennewick abruptly closed in February, but new owners have come forward.

Foodies on the River in Kennewick and Foodies Too in Richland have been sold to a women-owned business team, Foodies founder Joanna Wilson wrote March 2 on the Foodies Facebook page.  "They will be introducing themselves in due time, but I am excited to be able to pass the torch to a pair of women who share the same passion and excitement of food and hospitality," Wilson wrote.

"The upcoming transition will be my chance to assist these ladies in the re-start of the restaurants, teach them the 'Foodies flare' that you all have come to know and love, and for them to put their own fingerprint on this new adventure they are partaking in. My hope is that the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities will warmly welcome them to the same familiar locations you all have grown accustomed to. I want to encourage the Foodies fans to support this small business like you supported me for so long and to also extend them grace as they learn the ropes, too. This community needs small business support more than ever," Wilson wrote. She did not disclose their names.

She announced the closure of the two restaurants on Feb. 10, saying it was time for her to leave the food and beverage service industry.

She thanked the staff and the community, saying those bonds are “what I’ll cherish the most.”

“We cannot express the tremendous support you have shown our staff and my family. We are truly humbled. And tears of gratitude are continuing to flow as we work through this weekend,” she wrote in the post, requesting that she and staff be given privacy to deal with the announcement.

The Kennewick location, which opened next to the Columbia Park golf course in 2022 after a fire prompted its relocation from downtown, closed on Feb. 10.

The Richland location, in a corner spot in The Parkway, closed on Feb. 11.

Another Tri-City restaurant also recently said goodbye. Bougie Brunch on West Kennewick Avenue announced on Facebook on Feb. 5 that it was closed indefinitely. The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business featured the business in June 2022 ahead of its opening.