It is never good news whenever a restaurant owner decides to close their restaurant. There’s undoubtedly a lot of hand wringing and anguish that goes into that final decision, but that never makes it any easier. Especially when said restaurant has been around for a number of years.

That’s the case with Savannah’s La Scala Ristorante Italiana. Owners Donald Lubowicki and Jeffrey Downey have decided 6 years was enough and decided to close. The announcement was made Friday morning via social media.

“We would like to thank our loyal patrons throughout the last five and a half years that made this effort worth the undertaking.” the statement reads. “We would also like to thank our staff for all of their effort and hard work.”

The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise to those who follow the food scene. Despite a 2 year, 2 plus million dollar build out on the converted home at Abercorn and 37th streets, La Scala never really fully found its groove on Savannah’s food scene. The public was markedly divided on its quality and the space was massive. It is beautiful, but massive, which made its success a steep uphill battle from practically day one.

Believe it or not, the idea for what eventually became La Scala was first tossed about as far back as 2013, over a full decade ago. Savannah was in desperate need of additional Italian options right around the time Celebrity Chef Hugh Acheson opened The Florence on Victory Drive. The Florence’s spin on Italian food never really took off, it closed in the Summer of 2017.

By then, Donald and Jeffrey, fueled in part by their very successful French Bistro Circa 1875 on Whitaker Street, had decided they were going to take a shot at creating an Italian palace on 37th Street with approachable food. They went all in and from the looks of what was the finished product, spared very little expense at making a beautiful restaurant.

Several chefs and management teams later, however, it was clear they just couldn’t figure out a formula that would consistently fill the room. As we mentioned already, a significantly large room that undoubtedly brought with it nearly impossible to manage overhead. Friday afternoon, Donald and Jeffrey shared a statement with us:

For its part, Circa 1875 remains one of Savannah’s best and most consistent dining experiences. Full houses are a nightly occurrence, with it being one of a handful of eateries that locals will travel downtown for on a weekend.

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