From the Asheville Citizen-Times …
The owner and staff of Fiore’s restaurant arrived at the College Street eatery this morning to find brown paper covering the windows, the restaurant sign removed and door locks changed.
“My dad locked us out,” said restaurant owner Anthony Cerrato, who operates the Italian eatery in a building that his father, Fred Cerrato owns.
“It was a shock to me and my staff,” he said.
Anthony Cerrato said he’s been working with his father for years on a verbal contract, adding that he’s been working recently to separate himself from his father in regard to the restaurant business. Anthony Cerrato is planning to open a new Italian restaurant on Broadway Street. That restaurant, tentatively named Strada, is scheduled to open in March.
Both the downtown and the South Asheville locations of Fiore’s are now closed.
“Never do business with family,” he said.
Earlier today, Fiore’s Ristorante Toscana made the announcement public on Facebook and Twitter.
The owner of Fiore’s, Anthony Cerrato, posted this statement on the restaurant’s Facebook page:
Due to circumstances out of our control, the owner of the Fiore’s building has changed the locks because he was unhappy with Anthony’s future business plans. We are now officially, albeit unexpectedly closed and look forward to a fresh start at our new location opening in March at 27 Broadway. Don’t fret though! We will still honor our “you get we give” coupons April 2-6 and donate to charities that we were helping to benefit today and this week. Anthony is excited to create his own great experience with a benefit! Come check us out soon! We deeply apologize for any inconvenience and can’t wait to make it up to you with the continued service you’ve come to expect from us.
Though Fiore’s is closing, Cerrato reassured patrons online that he still has plans to open a new restaurant in downtown Asheville at the former site of Tingles Cafe, 27 Broadway St. He posted:
Thank you everyone for your kind words and continued support. It really means a lot to everyone involved. One door closes and another one opens, in this case it is quite literal. We will have the same staff a faces you recognize and we look forward to seeing all the familiar faces as well. Please let your friends and family know where to find us in the near future!
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