‘Israeli’ restaurant chain in Belgium closes after boycott

• The Antwerp-based "Israeli-inspired" food chain Boker Tov has filed for bankruptcy and closed its final remaining restaurant in Antwerp, following the shuttering of its Ghent and Brussels locations earlier in 2025.
• While the owners attribute the collapse to a massive loss caused by "online hate" and boycotts following the assault on Gaza, financial records reveal the chain had been struggling with mounting debts and rapid, unsustainable expansion since as early as 2021.

The Antwerp-based ‘Israeli’ food chain Boker Tov has announced the closure of its final restaurant and filed for bankruptcy, marking the end of a once-thriving business.

The decision, revealed in recent days, follows a prolonged period of financial strain exacerbated by external pressures, with the last outlet in Antwerp shutting down after the Ghent location closed in September 2025.

At its peak, the chain operated four locations across Belgium, two in Antwerp, one in Ghent, and one in Brussels, in Antwerp's historic Jewish quarter, home to approximately 20,000 Orthodox Jews.

One of the reasons cited for the closure is anti-‘Israel’ boycotts that intensified following the ‘Israeli’ assault on Gaza.

The restaurant also cited “anti-semitism”, with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever visiting the Antwerp branch in September 2025 to condemn “antisemitism”.

Financial records indicate that debts had been accumulating since 2021, with the chain recording its first loss in the previous year, suggesting that business decisions are the primary reason for the closure.

This closure occurs within a broader context of rising boycotts against ‘Israel’ across Belgium and Europe, where over 300 cultural institutions and 875 artists have joined boycotts against ‘Israeli’ entities, citing war crimes in Gaza.