Longtime Restaurant Bids Goodbye To Howard County

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — A beloved icon in Ellicott City will close its doors permanently this month.

As Patch previously reported in October, the owners of Tersiguel’s French Country Restaurant announced on Facebook that while they celebrated their 50th anniversary in July, they would be closing for good in December.

The historic building that Tersiguel's has called home - and once was the home of Ellicott City’s first mayor - will become the new home of River House Pizza Co. in 2026. But it's a full circle type of moment for the transition. The owner of the new eatery, Nathan Sowers, previously worked as a baker for Tersiguel’s.

"Our family has grown with yours over the years, and our relationships with you have been the driving force for our success. We have evolved over the years, and we have so many cherished memories with you our guests as well as our employees – who have always been like family to us. As the adage goes, all good things must come to an end. We made the decision a little more than a year ago that it was time to seek a buyer for the building and the business. We will be closing this December. Our hearts are full of joy for the next chapter for our family, and we are thrilled that our dear friends Nathan Sowers and wife Kimberly Kepnes will be in this special space," chef Michel Tersiguel, who is Fernand Tersiguel’s son, and his wife, Angie, wrote on Facebook.

In 2016, the kitchen at Tersiguel’s French Country Restaurant was destroyed by fire and prohibited the family from replacing their bakery. At that time, Sowers was dominating the kitchen with his talents, the family shared, but had to seek employment elsewhere. Now, he will be taking the reigns at their building where he got his start. The restaurant has withstood devastating flooding, the 2008 financial crisis and the pandemic, yet it survived.

"We could not be more honored to pass this torch to them. We know they will hold your celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, graduations, showers, retirements and more dear to their hearts, as well as your losses when saying goodbye," the Tersiguels shared on Facebook. "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for entrusting us with your special occasions, your memories, your families over these 50 years. We will miss you dearly, and we never could have achieved what we did without you."