Italian Restaurant Closes with a Frustrated Farewell
An Italian eatery, Don Ciccio, has made the decision to shut its doors in Highgate, north London, after six years of operation. The closure has sparked frustration as the restaurant’s management expressed their discontent towards local patrons.
Earlier this month, the restaurant announced its decision online, bidding a rather irate farewell to what they termed their ‘community.’
The message read, “Due to a lack of customers, we have closed the store. Thank you to everyone in Highgate and the surrounding communities for supporting us through and through. Special thanks to those who dined with us during lockdown, as we were the only restaurant open, and, interestingly, also to those who never visited us post-pandemic.” This sentiment seems, well, a bit pointed.
The message continued with a touch of sarcasm. “Thank you to everyone at the Highgate Association for not once responding to our proposal for cooperation. And to the neighbors who live just a few houses away but chose to order from elsewhere, thank you for maintaining your distance. In short, thank you for supporting us perfectly.” The tone is a little unusual for a farewell.
It concluded with a rather bold claim: “We may be the first Italian restaurant to close, but not due to bad food, poor reviews, or sheer bad luck. The true reason is the complete indifference from neighbors.” That’s quite a statement.
Interestingly, Don Ciccio’s menu, still available online, featured classic Italian offerings, including pizza and pasta, priced between $19 and $35. With a 4.6-star rating on TripAdvisor from 239 reviews, one might expect a different outcome. However, the last two reviews weren’t overly kind, ending with a definitive “don’t go there.”
The online farewell message went on: “Simply being named TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice for 2023-2025 didn’t suffice. Having been regarded as one of the best pizzerias in London and boasting a 4.7-star rating on Google with 700 reviews over six years was not enough to sway customer interest.” There seems to be a hint of bitterness here.
It closed with a rather resigned note: “We are guests in this country and, as guests, we won’t complain.” So, it seems the restaurant leaves the community with a mix of gratitude and dissatisfaction.
When approached for comment, Andrew Sulston, chairman of the Highgate Society, noted, “Highgate Society has no paid staff; all activities are run by volunteers, so unfortunately we are unable to respond to all requests at all times.”
