Bill Foley plans to open new restaurant at former Cyrus spot

Wine industry empire builder Bill Foley is planning to open a restaurant at his Healdsburg hotel in the space that once housed Michelin-starred Cyrus.

Chalkboard Bistro & Wine Bar is scheduled to open April 1, Foley said. The concept will be an "upscale casual" atmosphere where visitors can share small plates and wine tasting flights, he said.

He has hired chef Shane McAnelly, formerly the executive chef of Va de Vi, a tapas-style bistro and wine bar in Walnut Creek.

Cyrus closed last year after its owners and Foley's company settled dueling lawsuits.

"The relationship with the hotel was not good," Foley said. "The best approach was for me to buy the restaurant, or buy them out of their lease. Then I'd have a restaurant that's completely tied into the hotel."

In addition to Chalk Hill, Foley owns Sebastiani in Sonoma County and 14 other wineries from Napa to New Zealand.