Luciano's on East Bay Street. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune staff
LUCIANO’S, a popular restaurant in eastern New Providence, is closing down permanently with the COVID-19 crisis “being the final nail in the coffin” after several years of declining fortunes.
Ash Henderson, director of marketing for Restaurant Services Limited, said Monday that “72 managers and staff are sadly affected by the closure” of the restaurant.
In addition to providing fine Italian dining services, Luciano’s hosted hundreds of events “ranging from weddings, birthdays, corporate events and charitable events” since opening in late 2004, according to Mr Henderson.
The company said in a statement Monday: “Due to the current economic climate, the restaurant’s reliance on the tourist market, and the economic uncertainty in the coming months, it is unable to continue as a viable business.
“Despite increased competition in the industry, and a shift in the customer base, Luciano’s management had remained committed to its staff despite mounting losses each month. The economic impact of COVID-19 was the final nail in the coffin, leaving no choice but to close and make its team redundant.
“The sad reality is that the restaurant industry operates on very slim margins, and Luciano’s was no exception. The owners and management team have been struggling to make ends meet for the last couple of years, and have exhausted every avenue to keep the restaurant open and to keep the team employed. Nobody could have predicted the effects from COVID-19 on the economy and, sadly, the fallout that necessitated the permanent closure of the restaurant.”
Mr Henderson said in a bid to remain open over the years, Luciano offered new menu offerings, tested various marketing programmes, partnered with brands, limited price increases despite rising food costs, invested in technology, injected owner funds into the business to keep the restaurant afloat and had capital investment to provide alternative experiences.
“We didn’t open for the takeout throughout the lockdown,” he said after being contacted by The Tribune. “Our menu is best experienced fresh from the kitchen, and we didn’t want to compromise the food quality that we were known for.
“The restaurant has struggled for a few years. Competition across the island has increased dramatically, and there has been a shift in our customer base to other parts of the island. The opening of Baha Mar, with its array of restaurants, certainly had an impact.”
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has said many businesses may not reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown.
“We are in very difficult and uncharted waters. Tourism, the leading engine of our economy, is being devastated. Many businesses that closed during the lockdown are not confident they will be able to reopen once the restrictions are lifted,” he said during a national address this month.
Across social media Monday, many Bahamians reacted with sadness to news of Luciano’s closure.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 6 months ago
72 managers and staff????
I think I see your problem.....
Porcupine 4 years, 6 months ago
Yes, only if you want to maintain high standards, good food and decent service. We should be saddened by the implications of this closure, as it will not be the last. The restaurant business is highly competitive. That they managed to stay in business for more than 15 years is a tribute to their success, not failure. The number of staff and management needed to run a good restaurant should be looked at as an indicator of what impact is to come for our country in the very, very near future. It is not the staffing that is the problem, it is the shutdown of our economy as we knew it. This article should be highlighted to show the depth of our problems here. It is not an indictment of this restaurant, it is a portent of the very near future.
Tribal242 4 years, 6 months ago
@proudloudandfnm.....I tend to definitely agree with you here, that's a crazy amount of staff. Further to that, while I understand that their products are "best experienced fresh from the kitchen", the owner pit that against some sort of income and employing some of his staff. I'm sure people would have understood the take out aspect. Everyone has had to do things differently during this time, missed opportunity, it may have helped only for a little while but also may have helped them get trough this. Only God knows as this stage.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 6 months ago
But Lucianos is expensive for the average family they wouldn't have the customer base to support a takeout business.
Porcupine 4 years, 6 months ago
As a side note, another entity, the Bahamian government, is in even worse straights. What happens when they shut down? Especially to those who are continually whining about how the government needs to step in and help them, providing jobs, benefits, pensions and, you get the point?
Clamshell 4 years, 6 months ago
Porcupine is right. Please don’t assume that all 72 of those employees would be working at once. That’s just not accurate.
This isn’t Wendy’s. For a fine-dining restaurant serving upscale food, it means running two full shifts a day, from the morning’s early-food-prep to the evening’s closing/cleaning, 7 days a week.
For a fine-dining establishment running full-time, 72 employees is by no means out of line.
themessenger 4 years, 6 months ago
In total agreement Porcupine, as usual all of the armchair economists and fast food gourmands are now coming out of the bush.
Clamshell 4 years, 6 months ago
Yup ... well said ... people here who think a paper-sack of flat hamburgers and soggy fries are a restaurant meal. Sad.
Honestman 4 years, 6 months ago
I must admit to not being surprised by this. Fine dining restaurants are all under threat during this economic crisis. Kerb side delivery just doesn't work for restaurants like Lucianos.
shonkai 4 years, 6 months ago
So why did they do take-out before the Covid-19? I had it a couple of times while working overtime on a Saturday and nothing else downtown was open. I do agree that it did not taste very good though, but neither did it in the restaurant itself. Simple food made expensive by throwing expensive ingredients at it, and of course you paid for the location.
banker 4 years, 6 months ago
At one point when I was with the bank in Nassau, it was THE place to go to for the business lunch. After awhile, it turned out to be an expensive lunch with rather standard food. But, since the patrons were on an expense account, it didn't matter. It finally degenerated to a place to avoid because of the prices, and lunches at the Green Parrot with their mahi mahi were a lot better and less expensive than Lucianos. I'm surprised that it lasted this long.
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