Ciccio Restaurant Group partner pivots plans for Hyde Park Village, strikes out with new Italian concept in old Piquant space
Ciccio Restaurant Group partner pivots plans for Hyde Park Village, strikes out with new Italian concept in old Piquant space
A partner in Ciccio Restaurant Group is striking out on his own with a new Italian restaurant Hyde Park Village.
Jeff Gigante, a partner in CRG, will open Forbici Modern Italian in the 5,800-square-foot spot on West Snow Avenue that was previously home to Piquant Epicure & Cuisine.
Jason Brunetti of Brunetti Pizza, with locations in New York and the Hamptons, is a partner with Gigante in Forbici.
Gigante remains a partner in CRG; his investors in Forbici include CRG partners James Lanza and Luis Flores. But Forbici is a separate venture and outside of the CRG umbrella, whose brands include Fresh Kitchen, Ciccio Cali, Ciccio Water, The Lodge, Green Lemon and Daily Eats.
Forbici, Gigante said, will total around $2 million in startup costs. It's slated to open in August.
CRG had been planning to open its second location of Better Byrd — a chicken and doughnut concept — in the former Piquant space in Hyde Park. But as Better Byrd's first location in St. Petersburg gained a following, Gigante said CRG realized the concept may not be the best fit for the village.