Lasagna for Lease

Sometimes it’s best to quit while you’re ahead. In 2008, Jon and Lucie Fath purchased the building that had previously housed Sean & Nora’s [1] restaurant on Barre’s Main Street. Now the couple plans to keep the building but sell the business.

When he opened Lucia’s Italian Restaurant & Bar [2], says Jon Fath, he was expecting the Granite City’s residents to slurp up spaghetti and meatballs but steer clear of the more upscale fare he continues to serve at Toscano Café Bistro [3] in Richmond. To Fath’s surprise, in the years since opening the red-sauce Italian restaurant, “We’ve nudged up the check average.” He says that almost half the orders are higher-priced specials, which include fish and filet mignon du jour dishes.

So, why pass the torch? Fath says he’s accomplished with the restaurant what he hoped. “We bought it as an investment,” he explains. The business is currently listed with BCK Real Estate. Fath says he hopes any future renter will keep alive the Lucia’s concept rather than start an entirely new restaurant in the space.

Lucia’s will remain open until the new occupant is ready to take over. A few prospective tenants have already expressed interest, Fath reveals.

“We’re not looking to make a killing on the business,” says Fath, who plans to focus on his original restaurant, Toscano. “We own the property, and that’s the long run. If someone succeeds enough to pay the rent, we’ll be very happy.”