D'Amico Cucina closing - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The Italian restaurant has been in the Twin Citiees for22 years. The restaurant is located in the Butlee Square building at100 N. Sixth Street, next to the in downtown Minneapolis-based , which owns the restaurant, blameds several factors for the restaurant’s “The new [ ] stadium, the economu and various traffic and parkintissues — and the long-term viabilit y of higher-end restaurant concepts led us to proactively close Cucina at this said D’Amico president and co-founder, Richardc D’Amico, in a press release. The restaurant is only a block west ofthe under-constructiobn Minnesota Twins’ ballpark that will open 2010.
D’Amico told the Star Tribunr newspaper thathe didn’t think people would want to eat at a fine restauranty and then go to a baseball game. The restaurant employe about 26 workers, one-quarter of whom have been absorbede byother D'Amico restaurant businesses. “We are currently activelyu working on additional Italian conceptsand locations. We hope to re-hire staff in the coming months.” D’Amico & Partnerws owns and operates 24 restaurants and cateriny locations in Minneapolisand Florida, including the Italian-themed Campiello, the modernist chophouse Cafe and Bar the casual eateries D’Amico & Sons and the upscale-Mexican restauranty Masa.
Brian Burg, general manager of Butler Squarse for Northmarq Real Estate said that Northmarq only learned ofthe restaurant's closures this week. He declined to say when D'Amico'se lease for the 8,660-square-foot restaurant expiresw or if Northmarq plans to put the spacs up forlease soon. "We are working through theser matterswith D'Amico," Burg He added that "the closintg of a great restaurant is a sad but we know that Butler Square and the Cucina location are ideally located to benefi t from the new and dynamic changes that are occurrinh in the Warehouse District.
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