Southington Culinary Institution About To Be Shuttered

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Citing an economy that, simply, makes it too difficult to operate, the owner of a prominent pizza restaurant in Southington Thursday announced the eatery's closure.

Mark Zommer, owner of Zingarella Ristorante & Pizzeria at 83 W. Main St., posted a lengthy letter to the community Thursday explaining why he's shuttering the 11-year-old restaurant on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day.

He cited a difficult economic climate as forcing him, like many restaurant owners, to close.

Zommer, a Southington native, said "no matter what business you're running nowadays, our fearless leaders have made it much more difficult for small independent businesses to survive."

He said the food service industry has, particularly, been hit hard with economic issues such as high costs and inflation, a labor shortage, fuel prices and other challenges slamming business owners.

"This is especially true in the food service industry," wrote Zommer. "Restaurants are starving for reliable and competent workers. The cost of food and having that food delivered has not only doubled, but, in some cases, tripled."

Zommer said Southington has experienced a glut of restaurant openings since he opened his place in 2011.

"Southington is saturated with places to eat and most of them are chains or are corporately owned," he wrote. "The sole proprietorships get lost in the mix and really don't stand much of a chance at survival.

"Gone are the days of going out for a pizza with family or friends and hello to the days of food delivery to your home, especially pizza."

Despite the restaurant's imminent closure, the owners posted some specials on Friday, saying "we're not done yet."

For more information on Zingarella, click on this link.