Zio Fraedo's waterfront Italian restaurant in Vallejo will serve its final meal on Sunday, Oct. 25, closing after two decades on the city's shoreline. Owners Tony and Sherry LoForte say they couldn't strike a deal with their landlord over a new rent that would have been too steep for the restaurant to survive.
“We were unable to come to an agreement with our landlord,” the LoFortes said, according to mercurynews.com, adding that “the new monthly rent would far exceed our ability to sustain the restaurant.” The 20-year-old restaurant sits at 23 Harbor Way, a spot the business expanded into in 2005 after years running its original Pleasant Hill location, per the same report. As first reported by SFGATE, the city of Vallejo raised rent on the publicly owned property occupied by Zio Fraedo's, according to the LoFortes, though city spokesperson Robert Briseño declined to disclose the cost of the increase in an email to the outlet.
Tariffs, Thin Margins and a Lost Lunch Crowd
Tony LoForte told SFGATE in a phone interview that tariffs and rising food costs have hurt the restaurant's economics, and he declined to comment on specific details of the rent increase. The owners also pointed to the broader financial squeeze facing restaurants generally, with the margins becoming tight these days, as mercurynews.com reported. LoForte described the business as fickle in his conversation with SFGATE.
The Vallejo location had seen sluggish foot traffic in recent years, and the lunch crowd never fully returned after the pandemic, according to SFGATE's reporting. In response, Zio Fraedo's eliminated its lunch hour at both the Vallejo and Pleasant Hill restaurants and shifted its focus toward banquets, SFGATE reported, while also cutting operating days because of staffing issues.
City Cites Stewardship of Public Property
Briseño, the Vallejo spokesperson, said the city focuses on ensuring city-owned properties serve the community well, according to SFGATE's reporting. He added that stewardship of public property requires weighing the city's obligations, responsible resource management and long-term community interests, per the same account.
A Family Legacy Rooted in 1975
Zio Fraedo's traces back to 1975, when Tony LoForte Sr. opened the original Pleasant Hill location, according to SFGATE. Tony and Sherry LoForte took over that restaurant after Tony LoForte Sr. died, and the couple later opened the Vallejo waterfront location in 2005, the outlet reported. The Vallejo restaurant's menu grew to include a larger spread featuring fettuccine alfredo and chicken piccata, and the space became a go-to venue for birthdays, weddings and other celebrations, per SFGATE's reporting.
Zio Fraedo's has also been described as family owned and operated, having served the Vallejo community for two decades, according to What Now, which reported that the owner cited rising rent costs and landlord issues as the main reasons for the closure. Back in 2018, Clearinghouse CDFI provided the business with a $1.82 million loan to refinance existing debt so it could continue serving more than 100,000 patrons annually, according to Clearinghouse CDFI, which said the financing was meant to preserve 30 full-time small-business jobs.
Pleasant Hill Stays Open as Vallejo Says Goodbye
The original Pleasant Hill restaurant will remain open even after the Vallejo doors close for good, SFGATE reported. About 20 employees at the Vallejo location have been offered positions at the Pleasant Hill restaurant, according to the outlet. Sherry LoForte said managing restaurants in two cities had become more challenging, per SFGATE's reporting.
Since the closure announcement, the Vallejo restaurant has grown busier than ever, with longtime customers and former employees stopping by to share memories, SFGATE reported. Even the restaurant's original chef made the trip from Maryland to visit, according to the outlet. Sherry LoForte said it was the customers and former employees who helped make the restaurant what it was, per SFGATE's reporting.
Zio Fraedo's isn't the only waterfront eatery to recently lose its lease fight. In Fort Pierce, Florida, commissioners voted to end the lease for Crabby's Dockside after the operator racked up nearly $334,000 in unpaid rent, taxes and fees, according to Hoodline.
