Much to the shock of students, Sal Anthony’s, formerly known as Cartucci’s Bar and Grill, has closed and will remain closed indefinitely.
A former employee of Sal Anthony’s, on Liacouras Walk, who wished to remain anonymous, said the store was owned by a group of individuals from Staten Island who had sold 51 percent of the companies rights to Sal Anthony’s in New York City.
Officials from Sal Anthony’s, located on Irving Place in New York City, would neither confirm nor deny these reports and called the restaurant’s closing a “private business deal being conducted.” The restaurant has not been open since Sept. 20.
A man inside the restaurant who wished to remain anonymous said “the Cartucci’s format was not the right format for students. We are going to change and maybe try to open in six to eight weeks.”
Sal Anthony’s representatives would neither confirm nor deny this statement saying they would prefer not to say anything for now.
Matt Uon, a barber at the neighboring Chop Shop, expressed some shock at the restaurant’s closing.
Uon said he had eaten there, and remembered talking to the owner, Vinnie on a few occasions. He said that the owner “had not given the Chop Shop or any of their customers any notice or indication that the restaurant was closing.” Uon said that he had also known a few employees, and they told him they were also surprised that the store was closed.
Uon said he thought the restaurant was a little expensive for the average college student. “They had good service but the food was a little overpriced. It could have been a little more successful if the prices were reasonable.”
Temple University senior Tim Williams agreed with Uon. Williams, who had stopped into Cartucci’s bar this summer with some friends, said that each time he was in there it was mainly an older crowd inside the restaurant. Although he was surprised to see the restaurant closed, Williams felt that Cartucci’s wasn’t really designed with the college student in mind.
“It seemed to me that the restaurant wasn’t very appealing to college students. It seemed to be modeled a little more for adults.” Williams also complained about the prices, noting that, “I was always told that the food was expensive, which kind of turned me away from ever wanting to purchase any.”
The bar and grill, which opened in the fall of 2002, had given students a place they could get a meal on campus without the standard cue of “would you like fries with that?” The eatery also gave students a restaurant that was within close proximity to the dorms and also provided a substitute for traveling to the high class restaurants found in Center City.
Whether the building will open back up as Cartucci’s or as a totally new enterprise cannot be confirmed. However, according to some students’ reactions, the new restaurant must be designed with the college student in mind if the business is to be a success on Temple’s campus.
Bob Hollawell can be reached at Grungefan5483@aol.com
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