Spoleto Italian Kitchen, the South American-born chain of quick-serve restaurants, may have closed all of its Central Florida locations. Phones are disconnected and the company’s website address leads to a page with an error message. Its South American website is still up, albeit in Portuguese.
The chain – originally known as Spoleto – My Italian Kitchen – was started in 1999 in Rio de Janeiro and opened its first restaurant in the United States in Orlando in 2015 on University Boulevard. It was an assemblage concept that had the customer choose the type of pasta, sauces and other ingredients to be added to a bowl by a staff member behind the line. It was reviewed hereon April 8, 2015.
Three other locations opened in Central Florida, including in Winter Park, Windermere and inside Florida Mall. Although there are news accounts that the company planned to open more restaurants in the United States, including six in the San Diego region, there is no remaining evidence that those restaurants opened.
There are more than 350 Spoleto Italian Kitchens in Brazil, which has the largest population of Italians outside of Italy.
According to his Linkedin profile, John Velasquez, who brought the Spoleto brand to the U.S., left the company in December.
Attempts to reach members of the management staff Tuesday were not successful.
