MOUNT PLEASANT — A locally owned Italian restaurant has found a new home after struggling with its rent set to triple in the coming months.
Cuoco Pazzo Trattoria will soon be located at 1181 Oakland Market Road.
The restaurant was previously in the Fairmount Shopping Center off of Johnnie Dodds Boulevard. The Mount Pleasant property and neighboring Anna Knapp Plaza then were bought by RCB Development last May for $15 million.
Afterward, Davide Davino and his wife, who own Cuoco Pazzo, were told their monthly rent would more than triple from $4,800 to almost $16,000.
“New people, they buy all of Fairmont Plaza, and Anna (Knapp) Plaza,” he told The Post and Courier. He added, “they have so many millions of dollars, they’re not thinking about any family on the street, if you shut it (business) up.”
Several businesses have since moved on. Molly Maid found a new space in to Goose Creek and SpinJen Productions has relocated elsewhere in Mount Pleasant.
New businesses also have already begun moving in — Caviar and Bananas, Degree Wellness and Arrow Quality Cuts and Shaves are among those now in the shopping center.
Davino told The Post and Courier that he was worried he would be unable to find a new location and would instead be forced to close.
“There’s a lot of empty restaurants, but everybody is a similar price. They’re asking about $16, $17, $18, $15,000. So, it’s way too high to just open a door,” he said.
Fortunately, the popular Italian trattoria will remain in business. Davino said his rent is now just over $12,600 a month. The space also comes with a larger patio and kitchen.
He is excited about the new location given its high level of foot traffic.
Dining and Cooking