Pair of Parrino restaurants close

A pair of Springfield Italian-food restaurants started by the same Springfield restaurant owner ceased operations June 30 but one will reopen under new ownership later this year.

Tuscan Grill & Bar, at 3631 E. Sunshine St. since 2006, and J. Parrino’s Pasta House & Bar in The Galleria at 1550 E. Battlefield Road since 1983 were both started by Jay Parrino.

Parrino said June 30 was “just another day” at Tuscan Grill, which closed at 10 p.m. J. Parrino’s closed at 9:30 p.m. and also had no special plans for the night.

Gilardi’s Inc. and downtown restaurant owner Nicola Gilardi took over Tuscan Grill & Bar on July 1 with plans to reopen by September as Nicola’s, the second location for Gilardi’s downtown restaurant.

“Nicola and I have been talking – the first time we spoke was last year,” said Parrino. “This past May, we both got serious and I said this is what I’m looking for. We agreed to a price and he’s going to take over July 1.”

Gilardi bought Parrino’s equipment for an undisclosed price.

“I think I have a lot of my customers on the east side of town and why not?” said Gilardi, who’s built a loyal clientele at his 820 E. Walnut St. Gilardi’s Ristorante. “I think it’s good to have two different locations.”

Parrino opened J. Parrino’s Pasta House in The Galleria on East Battlefield Road 27 years ago, and sold the restaurant to Kenneth Rigby in 2000; Rigby had worked as a J. Parrino’s waiter since 1991.

Rigby blamed the economy for his restaurant closing.

“I just can’t fight this economy any longer,” he said. “It’s just not coming in like it used to. I can’t do it anymore. It’s the end of an era.”

Read the July 5 Springfield Business Journal for additional restaurant coverage.[[In-content Ad]]