Staff report

BOARDMAN — A well-known township restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine is ending operations after nearly 30 years.

Family-owned Caffe Capri Italian Bar & Grille, 8000 Market St., will close at the end of June.

In a news release Wednesday, the Quaranta family said it had sold the property to regional automotive dealer #1 Cochran.

The purchase price to acquire the 3-acre location was $1.25 million, according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s website.

“We thought we would be here for generations to come,” Ron Quaranta Jr. said. “But after all that we’ve been through, including the challenges brought on by the pandemic, we’ve come to realize that now is the time to say goodbye.

“It’s a bittersweet moment, but we are so incredibly proud of everything we’ve accomplished and the relationships we’ve built along the way.”

Caffe Capri opened in 1996. However, the Quaranta family’s restaurant roots go back to 1939 when Joseph Quaranta opened The Hub Gardens. The family also operated Ronnie’s Tavern and the Isle of Capri.

“We are beyond grateful for the love and support this community has shown us over the years,” Quaranta Jr. said. “Thank you for the memories, for being part of our story and for becoming part of our family.”

Holders of gift cards have until June’s closing to redeem them.

Based in Monroeville, Pa., Cochran entered the Boardman market Jan. 20, 2023, when it purchased the former Sweeney Chevrolet property for $4.5 million, according to county records. Caffe Capri is adjacent to that location.

On Jan. 16, Cochran purchased the former Fred Martin Ford property in Austintown for $3 million.