Italian restaurant at Triangle Town Center closes abruptly

RALEIGH -- Rather than smells of pasta and pizza, customers wanting to dine at the Gianni & Gaitano's at Triangle Town Center were greeted this week with a Wake County sheriff's notice that the restaurant was closed.

"These premises have been padlocked by order of the Wake County Sheriff's Department," it read. "Do not enter."

The Italian eatery closed suddenly last week following the posting of the notice and is not expected to reopen.

According to a lawsuit filed in Wake County Superior Court, the operators of the restaurant owe the mall $55,608.42 in back rent, fees, taxes and charges.

Gianni Cinelli, who is a partner in the business with his brother, Gaitano Cinelli, said sales at the Triangle Town Center restaurant were slow, especially after a July brawl in which one teenager was stabbed and a police officer injured.

"There was no foot traffic, and [it] was impossible to pay the enormous rent without people coming to the mall," he said in a statement sent by e-mail.

Cinelli also said he tried to reach an agreement with the mall for the three months' rent he owed but was not able to do so.

Triangle Town Center manager Jack Love declined to discuss the case, because it is in litigation; he did say that the mall is trying to re-lease the space.

Cinelli has three brothers, and between them they own and operate nine restaurants under three different names: Cinelli's, Gianni & Gaitano's and Rocco's. They have added several new locations lately.

Gianni Cinelli said the other stores are doing well financially and that the Triangle Town Center store was an isolated case.

He also confirmed that he has pulled plans to build a Gianni & Gaitano's restaurant in the new 222 Glenwood building in Raleigh on Glenwood South.

But he said that decision was made independently of the Triangle Town store closing and for personal reasons. Blue Ridge Realty of Raleigh is still seeking a tenant for that space.

Customers who visited the Triangle Town Center restaurant this week were confused by signs posted next to the sheriff's notice that said the store was under renovation.

Cinelli explained that he originally thought he would be able to sell the restaurant or bring in a partner to change the name and continue operations, which is why those signs were posted.

The site is a prime corner spot in the outdoor "commons" section of the mall. It's also a location with a history of sudden closures.

Before Gianni & Gaitano's settled there, it was home to the Bamboo Club, which also closed suddenly in late 2006. The mall sued it over $15,158.97 in unpaid rent, fees, taxes and charges.

"I don't think it's the space that's the problem or the location that's the problem," said Love, the mall manager. "I think once we find the right fit and the right tenant, anyone will be successful."