Caffe Dolce Vita to bid arrivederci
to Federal Hill

PROVIDENCE – A fixture on Federal Hill for 26 years and one of the last of the old school restaurateurs on Providence’s original restaurant row is closing this weekend. Gianfranco Marrocco announced Tuesday that his restaurant Caffe Dolce Vita in DePasquale Square will close its doors on Columbus Day.

Marrocco in a statement said, “After 26 years I have decided to downsize and semi-retire.” He went on to say his goal is to find a suitable tenant to occupy what he calls “this premier space in the plaza.”

His company, The Marrocco Group, will continue to own and operate Hotel Dolce Villa and Blend on Federal Hill.  All of the team members at Caffe Dolce Vita are being offered new positions and Marrocco is offering outplacement assistance through his industry connections, according to the statement.

Caffe Dolce Vita was one of a small empire of eateries, bars and night spots Marrocco owned and operated on the Hill and in downtown Providence going back to the 1980s. His flagship Atwells Avenue restaurant Mediterraneo had a regular table reserved for the late Mayor Vincent A. “Buddy” Cianci Jr., as well as hosted just about every A-list celebrity who performed in Providence.

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At the beginning of the city’s restaurant boom in the ’90s, hospitality officials in Providence noted that on weekends on the Hill, at least 50 percent of the customers were from out of state. When Mediterraneo closed in 2015, Marrocco announced he had received “an offer he couldn’t refuse” and positioned Caffe Dolce Vita as an all-day restaurant with menu items at a lower price point.

Patrons and friends of Caffe Dolce Vita will have an opportunity to bid farewell as the restaurant will close at 10 p.m. on Monday after dinner service.

Bruce Newbury is a PBN contributing writer.