K Restaurant and Wine Bar, the Italian trattoria made popular by local celebrity chef Kevin Fonzo, is closing. Its final day will be Saturday, Jan. 25.
Chad Phelps, who bought the business from Fonzo in 2017, said Thursday that he was selling because he has been diagnosed with cancer.
“The prognosis is good,” said Phelps, 61, but he wants to focus on the treatment ahead.
He said that there will be Closing Celebrations next Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24 and 25, which will include bringing back some of the restaurant’s popular dishes. Bottles of wine will be discounted and there will be happy hour pricing on other drinks for the walk-in-only celebration.
Phelps did not know what would happen to the property, an old house converted to a restaurant, but said there were some parties interested in buying the business. The structure has been home to other restaurants, including JoAnn’s Chili Bordello and Nonno, another Italian restaurant owned by Fonzo. Because the K stands for Kevin, Fonzo retained some interest in the business, but he was unavailable for comment Thursday evening. After purchasing the business, Phelps expanded the seating to qualify for a full liquor license.
Phelps said that the 15 members of K’s staff had been told about the closing.
