Patricia Talorico

The News Journal

The owners of BellaVista Trattoria & Pizzeria were evicted from their Pike Creek business Wednesday, and the Italian eatery has closed.

Candace Roseo, who has run the business with her husband, Nunzio, for about nine years, said she arrived at the restaurant in The Shops at Limestone strip center at 5337B Limestone Road on Wednesday morning and found that the locks on the doors had been changed.

“It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is. I’m just doing the best I can right now,” she said Thursday.

An eviction notice from the state Court of the Justice of the Peace has been posted on the restaurant’s front door. A handwritten note at the bottom says possession and lockout were done on May 25. Roseo said Thursday she has seven days to remove possessions from the building.

According to court records, the Nunzios corporation, R.S. Artemide Inc., owes rent to landlord The Shops at Limestone LLC. An appeal by Candace Roseo was denied. A phone message Thursday left with the agent listed on court papers representing The Shops at Limestone LLC was not returned.

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The Roseos are still operating BellaVista Pizzeria at the Wilmington Riverfront Market, a stall they’ve been running since 2010. Roseo said the Wilmington business is a separate corporation.

BellaVista Trattoria & Pizzeria, a family-friendly neighborhood dining spot opened since December 2007, had numerous reservations, parties and post-graduation meals booked at the time of the closing, Roseo said.

She is working with customers and area restaurants to find new locations for parties. Roseo said catering is now being done at the Wilmington location.

Roseo said a series of setbacks have plagued the Pike Creek restaurant over the past few months. She said they needed to replace costly equipment, had to deal with thefts, and rising food costs have been “through the roof.”

“The business itself is so hard today. You can only raise your prices so much,” Roseo said. “A restaurant works on very, very thin margins.”

Roseo said she does not know if her family will relocate the Pike Creek restaurant.

“I don’t know yet. It’s a brutal business,” she said. “All I can say is to tell people to support their local businesses.”

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 orptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter@pattytalorico.