Add one more name to the long list of restaurant closures this month: Meatballs in Penn Quarter has shut down.

The spot has been mired in controversy since it opened at 624 E St. NW in November. Citronelle and Central chef Michel Richard was supposedly behind the fast casual restaurant, but all the business documents indicated that it was in fact BGR: The Burger Joint owner Mark Bucher, who emphatically denied that he was a partner and tried to avoid public affiliation with the project. Instead, Bucher claimed he was merely advising a friend.

After the negative reviews that followed, Richard tried to distance himself from the restaurant. Now, Richard’s publicist, Mel Davis, tells Y&H that “Michel is not involved with it. He was only ever minimally involved.”

No word yet from Bucher. We’ll update when we have more information.

Photo by Jessica Sidman