Sandrine’s Bistro will close its doors on March 30, according to co-managing partner Gwen B. Trost. The French bistro, which was headed by award-winning chef Raymond E. Ost until August, has been a part of Harvard Square since 1996.

Trost said that the restaurant had experienced a tough economic winter due to the harsh weather but stated the decision to close had been made before the snow storms had arrived.

“[The weather] didn’t help certainly, but we had reached a decision prior to the hard winter,” Trost said.

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Trost instead cited Sandrine’s long tenure along with the many changes in Harvard Square as the cause for closing.

“After 18 years with all the changes in the Square, it was just time to move on and do different things,” said Trost.

A lease has been signed by a new restaurant to take Sandrine’s place, according to Denise A. Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association. However, the new owners have not decided on the details, including type of food to be served.

Restaurant management company Classic Restaurant Concepts will replace Sandrine’s with an high-end restaurant that will open by May, in time for Harvard’s Commencement, according to The Boston Globe. Classic Restaurant Concepts, which manages two Irish pubs in the Boston area, is in the process of selecting a chef to head the new restaurant.

—Staff writer Samuel Vasquez can be reached at samuel.vasquez@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @svasquez14.