Despite the failure rate in the restaurant business, sometimes even successful operations close down. It isn’t always the food. It isn’t always the service. It isn’t always reason you can put your finger on or sort in to a specific category. The locals will tell you that is probably the case with Trattoria Divina.
The very popular Italian eatery on Hilton Head Island has announced they are closing, yes permanently, on January 4, 2020. The announcement made via a letter posted to social media on New Year’s Day.
“We would like to thank everyone for our most memorable experiences over the last seven years.” the letter reads.
“The decision to close our doors has as much to do with health and family than the operation.” it says.
“The balance for quality time became increasingly difficult.” says Harry Morales, General Manager and Co-owner of Trattoria Divina.
“When we took over we thought we had something special.” He said. “And we did. An excellent staff. I thought we’d give it a good 5 years.”
They made it to seven.
Trattoria Divina has enjoyed a large following in those 7 years on the island. They’ve been regulars on Hilton Head’s “Italian food circuit” since almost day one.
“We have enjoyed everything about it.” Morales said “Not every restaurant closing is because of failure. Definitely not this one.”
Morales says he and his wife Tamara have lived on the island full time since 2000. They have no plans of going anywhere.
“This is paradise.” he says. “We aren’t going anywhere.”
That includes the option to do something else down the road. Open another restaurant, maybe? “I’m an entrepreneur.” He says. “I’d be open to anything.”
“What we had was magical for seven years. Everything about it.”
# # #
# # #
2 thoughts on “Hilton Head Island’s Trattoria Divina announces closing”
What is their responsibility regarding unused gift cards?
HHI seems to be regressing in terms of fun things to do, restaurants, music, night life, the social scene for people between 30 and 60, etc. Even the beaches are not very nice, with murky water, no waves, and even the fishing has gone down hill. For a while, the offseason was fun for locals, but now it seems like they roll the sidewalks up at 9pm. The overzealous light ban is a sham. They claim it is to protect the sea turtles, but the band is still in effect in the middle of winter when there are no sea turtles nesting. Because of the light and noise ordinances, one of the only fun places on the island, the iconic Tiki Hut, has to shut down at 10 p.m. if there is nothing going on at the triangle after 10 p.m., then you’re pretty much out of luck. I moved back to the island two years ago to take care of my dying mother and now very sick father, which has been an honor for me to do. My main focus is on there, so I do not necessarily have a lot of time to be running around having fun, especially because I’m not necessarily in the mood to do so. But I can guarantee you one thing, at some point down the road I will be moving to Florida, buying a nice condo on the water, get myself fishing boat turn on and enjoy the last Decades of my life in a fun, Lively and beautiful environment where are there more things to do than you can shake a stick at. That said, Hilton Head Island will always be a second home to me, as my family has been coming to the island since the mid-1970s and I spent most of my summers in school working on the island. I love Hilton Head, but something about it it’s just changed. Maybe it’s just me that has changed. Go figure.