Venerable Italian ristorante Antonio’s has served its last Early Bird Special. According to an email from Sims Commercial Auction House, the restaurant at 7097 Old Harding Pike closed in late April after attempting to weather the coronavirus crisis by serving carryout meals. According to the email, the owner found the transition too difficult to manage and had been contemplating retirement for a while anyway. The current climate pushed him over the edge and accelerated his exit plan.
Tony’s restaurant will be missed, not only for that bargain Early Bird deal, but also for the warm atmosphere and classic red-sauce Italian fare that is tough to find in the hinterlands of Nashville. Sims is currently conducting a total liquidation of all restaurant-related assets on its website, with bidding open until Thursday, May 21. So if you’re in the market for a six-burner commercial oven, an ice-maker that will keep you in cubes through the rest of the pandemic, a dozen escargot baking pans or some prototypical restaurant decor art prints to adorn your walls, prices are still cheap, and you know there have got to be some great stories behind all those items.
While it’s a really tough time to operate a restaurant, it’s also a difficult time to close one. Almost all of the hospitality industry is counting nickels and dimes right now, so it remains to be seen if there will be potential restaurateurs willing to invest in equipment with an eye on expansion. Best of luck to the Antonio’s crew, their Bellevue fans and the auction house for a successful next chapter.
