Chain with Italian restaurants in Leawood, the Plaza, Zona Rosa files for bankruptcy
Like many restaurants across the metro, sister operations Bravo Cucina Italiana and Brio Tuscan Grille temporarily closed during the shelter-in-place order to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
But will their struggling parent company reopen the locations — including its area spots on the Country Club Plaza, Town Center Plaza and Zona Rosa — once the order is lifted?
FoodFirst Global Restaurants Inc. has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, which covers the restaurant industry.
The company temporarily closed 71 of its 92 U.S. locations in March due to the COVID-19 crisis, according to NRN. Only the “best performing” restaurants remain open with a limited menu for curbside and delivery orders. The publication said the company furloughed nearly 6,000 hourly and salaried workers.
According to the bankruptcy filing, company leaders plan to review “underperforming locations for potential closure and/or sale where appropriate,” NRN said.
Officials with FoodFirst couldn’t be reached for comment.
Described as a casual white-tablecloth restaurant, Bravo opened on the north side of Leawood’s Town Center Plaza, 5005 W. 117th St., in 2003. It could seat 280 customers inside and up to 50 on the outdoor terrace. The company did an extensive remodeling, dropping the ceilings to make for a more intimate atmosphere. Lasagna Bolognese was its biggest seller.
Now it has a sign on the door: “Dear Valued Guests, we have made the difficult decision to close this restaurant. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you through the years.” The location is no longer listed on the company’s website.
Officials with Town Center Plaza didn’t return phone calls.
Bravo was an original tenant of Zona Rosa, opening in 2004. A sign on the door of the location at 7301 N.W. 87th St. says, “We look forward to serving you in the future once the pandemic is past us.” Officials with Zona Rosa declined to comment.
Sister restaurant Brio opened on the Country Club Plaza, 502 Nichols Road, in November 2004, which triggered a lawsuit by another Plaza tenant, Buca di Beppo. Buca contended that its lease contained provisions barring the Plaza from leasing space to another casual, family-style Italian restaurant. The Plaza Brio currently has a sign on the door saying “temporarily closed.”
In a statement, Plaza officials said, “We have not been told that Brio will close at this point in time, but the bankruptcy filing situation naturally creates uncertainties.”