Downtown Napolese Pizzeria closes permanently after a brief reopening

The reopening of Patachou's Napolese Pizzeria in March didn't pan out. 

The restaurant closed permanently July 31 after not receiving consistent business at its downtown location.  

The restaurant at 30 S. Meridian St. was closed for a year when coronavirus restrictions were enacted and reopened ahead of the NCAA Men's March Madness tournament.

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Marketing director Maddy Barnas said while the tournament gave them a stream of customers, business since has not been steady for the artisanal pizzeria that originally opened in 2013.

"There was just a shift when we reopened that made it no longer sustainable," Barnas said.

Napolese relied on foot traffic from downtown workers, many of whom are still not back in their offices. Barnas said business was also unsteady because of events and conventions being more sporadic. All employees at the downtown Napolese location were offered jobs at other Patachou restaurants around the city. 

Two Napolese restaurants remain open, one inside the Fashion Mall at Keystone and the other in at 114 East 49th St. in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood.

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"We see every closing as an opportunity for growth and change," Barnas said. "We were happy to offer the employees there opportunities at other locations."

The local restaurant group Patachou Inc. also owns five Cafe Patachou locations, Petite Chou Bistro and Champagne Bar, three Public Greens locations, Bar One Fourteen and Apocalypse Burger.

Contact Pulliam Fellow Lilly St. Angelo at lstangelo@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @lilly_st_ang