An Era in Fine Dining Comes to an End

A local eatery is slated to close at the end of the month.

The famed Piatti Italian restaurant in Montecito ends a chapter in its history on September 30th when its doors close for good. A public sign posted outside the establishment’s entrance attributes the closure to a change in ownership leaving many shocked patrons to wonder what is behind the decision, and what will happen with the employees currently working at Piatti?

Sources close to the matter tell The Word that the ailing economy has nothing to do with the decision to close, but simply put, “Piatti has chosen not to renew the property lease and has instead decided to place the establishment under new ownership.” Sources also say that the decision came from corporate headquarters not local management. Several e-mails placed to Piatti headquarters regarding the matter yielded no specific answers as to why Corporate had decided not to renew the lease. The only response came from Jennifer Tamaro Evans, Director of Marketing for Piatti, who says, “The closure of Piatti in Montecito was simply because our lease expired. Our collection of Piatti restaurants continues to do well in their respective markets and we foresee prolonged growth for the company overall.” When asked about any plans to re-open a Piatti in the Santa Barbara area, Evans stated, “We don’t have any plans for another Piatti in Santa Barbara/Montecito at this time.”

Pierre Lafond, which owns a restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara as well as a market and cafe next to Piatti in Montecito, will become the new owner. All Piatti employees, many who have been working there for nearly two decades, have been asked to reapply for their jobs but there is no guarantee that Pierre Lafond will re-hire them.

With at least five Italian restaurants in Montecito, including Via Vai and Pane é Vino, Piatti is the oldest among them. It gained much popularity with the locals when it opened in 1989 with partners Bob Harmon and Claude Rojas at its current location only after Jack Sears moved his Café del Sol restaurant to Los Patos Way by the bird refuge. Whether you go in to dine on delicious Italian food or simply to buy a drink or two, one of the things that attracts customers to Piatti time and time again is its wonderful hospitality. From the host/hostess to the servers and waiters, to the bartenders, the staff pride themselves in their family friendly service.

With Pierre Lafond’s acquisition of Piatti, it is most likely going to begin serving French food after it re-opens the eatery under a different name. As Piatti bids farewell, the staff continues to work hard to provide the service that has turned this eatery into a beloved staple in the heart of Montecito.