Rossoblu, a celebrated Italian restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles known for its handmade pasta and Bolognese specialties, will serve its final dinner on Nov. 1. Owners Dina and Steve Samson announced the closure, citing the increasingly challenging economics of operating a restaurant.
The Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient, which opened in 2017 in the Fashion District, struggled with profitability from its inception, according to Dina Samson.
"When we started, we ran out of money," she told Eater. "We started hoping we would make the first payment, and it’s been like that since day one. Where do you find the money to keep going?"
The restaurant's closure is the latest in a series of hospitality sector losses in the Los Angeles area, attributed to high operating costs, rent, changing consumer habits, and increasing minimum wage requirements.
Despite its acclaim and a dedicated following, Rossoblu faced significant hurdles, including a kitchen fire in 2018 and a more recent decline in evening diners. "All the equipment and restaurant are almost 10 years old," Samson said. "When you don’t have that kind of money for maintenance and repairs, and guests are no longer coming in like they used to, it seems like all odds are against us."
The Samsons expressed pride in the restaurant and the community they built, stating their continued passion for cooking and hospitality, and their belief in Downtown Los Angeles.
The business has been sold to undisclosed new partners who reportedly plan to reimagine the space. Chef Steve Samson may potentially return to lead the kitchen under the new ownership.
"The fact that somebody came in and said, ‘Hey, let us buy it from you, and you can still be a part of it if you want,'" Samson said. "Why would we say no?"