Prego Ristorante, a mainstay for three decades in Irvine, is closing at the end of the month, the owners announced Tuesday.
Ruth Bedi, who bought the restaurant in 2009, said she and her husband Tony were unable to “come to an agreement on the terms” of a new lease with the landlord, the Irvine Company.
Bedi said she and her husband are relocating Prego; its last day open in Irvine is Feb. 26. She did not reveal Prego’s next location because a lease has not been signed. She hopes for a swift transition so she can keep most of the 55 restaurant employees.
Executive Chef Ugo Allesina, she said, will be staying. He will be tweaking the menu by adding more seafood and dry-age steaks, she said.
“We’re going to revitalize our brand and puts some new lipstick on,” Ruth Bedi said.
Irvine Co. said Davio’s, an East Coast Italian steakhouse, is replacing Prego. It will open in late 2017, according to a memo sent to tenants of Irvine Towers.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to bring new and innovative offerings to you, changes are on the way to the dining options here at Irvine Towers,” Irvine Co. said in the memo.
The landlord said it was “grateful” for Prego’s more than 30 years of service to the local business community.
The Bedis, who own a refrigeration manufacturer business in Cerritos, bought Prego in 2009. In 2012, the restaurant went through a remodel after a fire forced it to close for a few months.
Its location next to Irvine Towers has made it one of Orange County’s best places to seal business deals at lunch. The Register’s restaurant critic, Brad A. Johnson, called it one of the Top 10 power lunch restaurants in Orange County.
“There’s always a steady stream of Ubers, Escalades and limos pulling up to the front steps at lunchtime, although most of the daytime crowd just takes the elevator down from the bank towers that rise up directly behind this business-oriented Italian spot,” he wrote.
Ruth Bedi said the new Prego will still offer an express business lunch. The Bedis thanked their loyal diners “for being the driving force to help Prego Ristorante experience such a long and successful existence.”
She’s excited about the changes to come. “We feel this is the beginning of the next chapter of Prego.”
Contact the writer: nluna@scng.com
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