PITTSBURGH — Another popular restaurant is closing its doors for good later this month. It’s the latest in a long list of eateries in the Pittsburgh area that recently shut down or are about to close.
The reasons for calling it quits vary. Some restaurant owners are retiring. Others are just moving on and some restaurants, including Cioppino and Osteria 2350, are closing because of the economy.
In the heart of the Strip District, Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar and its sister restaurant Osteria 2350 right next door have been serving up tasty dishes for the last 16 years.
Cece Zamarripa and Rick Zoucha have been eating at both places for more than a decade.
“We love this place,” Zamarripa said. “We’re going to miss them both.”
The couple is disappointed to hear the popular restaurants will be closing their doors for good after New Year’s Eve.
“We were very shocked,” Zamarripa said. “It was something very upsetting to us.”
General Manager Dana Zinsser runs both Cioppino & Osteria 2350.
“To be honest, we’ve been battling since the pandemic,” Zinsser said. “Really, it has just been clawing our way out.”
The GM said the rising cost of food became too much to take on.
“It’s not so much meat prices, or any of the things you would think in your head that would kind of sink a ship as it is the basics - milk, flour, eggs, things like that that have become really a challenge,” said Zinsser.
They join a growing list of local restaurants or chains shutting down in recent months.
Several days ago, Hard Rock Cafe in Station Square announced its closing in February.
In a statement, Hard Rock International said:
“Hard Rock has enjoyed serving the Pittsburgh community for nearly 23 years and playing a role in the city’s celebrated dining culture. We are so grateful to our incredible team members and fans in the Steel City for their support and memories all this time. In February 2025, the lease for Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh, located on 230 W. Station Square will expire. The location will permanently close on February 13th as a result. We look forward to welcoming guests at any of our other 314 locations in 74 countries, including 5 new Hard Rock Cafe locations opening this month.”
The statement ends with welcoming guests to the other locations but the closest ones are in either Niagara Falls, NY or Washington, DC.
Channel 11 has been reporting on other abrupt closures that offer no explanation, including Joe’s Crab Shack in September and Cadillac Ranch in July. Buca di Beppo closed in June after filing for bankruptcy.
>> Station Square business owners staying optimistic after recent restaurant closures
At Cioppino & Osteria 2350, nearly 40 workers will be laid off between the two establishments that Zinsser says has a family feel like Cheers.
“Shutting down for us is more than just closing this restaurant,” Zinsser said. “It’s saying goodbye to some loved ones and saying goodbye to the city we love, so it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a hard end for us but it’s what we got to do.”
Zinsser said the owner is working with employees and offering them severance pay. She said their lease is ending soon and isn’t sure what’s next for the space.
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