Riccelli's Italian Restaurant is sold

Riccelli's Italian Restaurant has been sold.

Why it matters: The sale marks the end of an iconic local business.

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• The new owners do not plan to reopen an eatery on the site, Terry Riccelli, son of the founder, tells Axios.

Catch up fast: Peter Riccelli Sr ., the son of Italian immigrants, started the restaurant in 1964.

• It was known for its steak dinners and side of spaghetti, as well as its old-school decor that included linen tablecloths, chandeliers and a 1940s cash register.
• The family closed the restaurant in 2020 during the pandemic.

State of play: The new owners plan to convert the building into a beauty salon, real estate agent Sue Randleman tells Axios.

• The sale is expected to close in the next 90 days.

What they're saying: The sale is bittersweet, Riccelli says.

• "My brother and I grew up in that restaurant and it was like a home. We hate to see it go," he says.

Brothers Frank (left) and Terry Riccelli continued to operate Riccelli's Italian Restaurant for more than a decade after their father's death in 2009. Photo: Courtesy of Riccelli's Italian Restaurant via Terry Riccelli