RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – A longtime Italian restaurant in Henrico has closed after the owner received an eviction notice from his landlord.
Roberto Gallina, owner of Roberto Italian Restaurant on Williamsburg Road, said he was given 30 days to vacate the property after 14 years in business.
It’s an even harder pill to swallow since he was planning on staying at the location forever; they even just remodeled the whole building a couple of months ago.
“This is my life. That was like my baby. This is where I started. The late nights, the early morning sacrifices. And I feel like a part of me dies with this place. I want to cry, I know,” Gallina said.
Gallina said he was initially led believed the notice was related to plans to demolish an abandoned motel behind his restaurant. He said the landlord, Shucker LLC, blamed Henrico County for the move.
“When it really happened, I don’t even know. We just received a 30-day notice from the landlord that we have to leave at the premise. They were blaming the county, at first…but the manager from Henrico County. She confirmed that they had nothing to do with this. It was just a landlord that kicked me out of this facility,” Gallina said.
A Henrico County representative said the county cannot comment on the notice to vacate because it is between the business owner and the property owner.
The county’s Economic Development Authority office is helping Gallina find a new location and connecting him with resources.
Cari Tretina, executive director of the Henrico Economic Development Authority, said the Roberto Italian Restaurant “is a valued member of Henrico’s business community, and Henrico EDA is committed to going the extra mile to support them—and every business—in Henrico.”
And when Gallina contacted them about his situation, Tretina said they made his request a top priority, delivering within 24 hours several viable relocation options.
Providing them with information on how to access key programs offering financial support, including the Henrico Small Business Loan Fund program administered by Bridging Virginia, Henrico’s local Enterprise Zone program, and its Commercial Reinvest Program.
“All the customers that we have over here, they’re not just regular customers, they are family of Roberto…we created this with time and over the years,” Gallina said.
According to Henrico’s finance department real estate assessment, the property was last sold in 2016 to Shucker LLC. There is no record of it currently being sold again.
12 On Your Side reached out to reach Shucker LLC through the number Roberto uses to communicate with his landlord, but we have not heard back.
There is also no website listed for the company online.
Gallina said the restaurant’s lease has been month-to-month for the last couple of years, meaning the company is within its rights to ask them to move, even though he says the rent was always paid on time.
If you’re craving his food while they find a new location in Henrico, the restaurant has another location at 1250 Tappahannock Blvd, Tappahannock, VA 22560. Click here for the link to their website.
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Dining and Cooking