Beloved Italian restaurant Grappa’s Ristorante is the next old-school eatery on its way out of Pacific Place, following news that family establishment Dan Ryan’s would be leaving in April after its 27-year tenure in the shopping centre.
Pacific Place owner Swire Properties confirmed the closure after the decision was finalised at a meeting last night, according to the SCMP.
Swire reportedly offered Grappa’s management, El Grande Concepts, a chance to submit proposals for a new concept in either its current space, or somewhere else within the mall, but the group declined to do so.
The restaurant, which will close its doors in Admiralty sometime in July, has been invited to relocate to a “nearby” Swire-run property, but has yet to accept the offer.
As for its current space at Shop 132, Pacific Place, the prime location has reportedly been snapped up by restaurant group Dining Concepts, which brought Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants to Hong Kong, as well as Belgian chain Le Pain Quotidien to Greater China.
Swire’s plans to dramatically increase Pacific Place’s F&B scene “by half” have seen the mall’s old guard edged out in favour of new concepts, as part of the property firm’s attempts to boost its ailing tourism and retail numbers.
Hong Kong-based lawyer Jonathan Midgley spearheaded a Facebook campaign called “Save Grappa’s“, which gained over 1,000 followers in the last two weeks.
Following Swire’s confirmation about Grappa’s imminent end, Midgley said, “I knew from the huge response […] that there are going to be a lot of very disappointed people”.
The popular Italian restaurant occupied its Pacific Place shop space for 26 years, just one year shy of American-style family favourite, Dan Ryan’s tenancy.
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