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A family-owned eatery downtown Livermore is set to close shop at the end of this month amid the rising cost of operations.
Known for its variety of Italian-inspired antipasto and pastas, Fratello’s Ristorante first welcomed diners to its current location during November of 2023, co-owner Omar Robles told Livermore Vine.
Despite having a consistent customer base, the financial pressure of rising rent and product costs have overwhelmed revenue, said Robles, who steers the restaurant with co-owner and chef Edwin Martinez.
“It’s not that we want to leave,” Robles said. “I love Livermore and I wish I could stay, but I just can’t.”
“I can’t even think straight – it’s a lot of doubts, a lot of feelings”, Robles said of the restaurant’s forthcoming closure. “This is really hard.”
Prior to moving to 2124 Railroad Ave., the business was located on Kitty Hawk Road in Livermore.
However, Robles decided to close the restaurant’s former location due to a rent increase.
“Here we go again,” Robles added, as he now faces the same issue downtown.
Given the annual rent bumps of about $280, the rent and PG&E bill currently total approximately $10,000 monthly, according to Robles. In hopes of seeing the restaurant make a financial turnaround, Robles has helped the business stay afloat with personal savings.
However, the turnaround hasn’t happened yet and the economy is tough right now, he explained.
“I cannot afford to stay open any more,” he added. “We ran out of savings and we cannot get any loans, so there’s no other option.”
Fratello’s last day of operation is set for Dec. 31.
As Robles looks toward the future, he plans to seek out other employment with the goal of saving money to own a restaurant again in the future.
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