Pesca Trattoria in Church Road, Hove, had its lease forfeited by the landlord on January 17.
The restaurant first opened in June 2021 and offered “seasonal dishes inspired by Italian family recipes in a relaxed, fun and contemporary environment”.
Ed Scothern, owner of the business, told The Argus: “We’ve had a great couple of years at Pesca. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts it hasn’t worked out.
“Trading recently has been incredibly tough and as such the overall cost of the operation became too much for a small, family-run business to sustain.
The restaurant site is available to be rented (Image: The Argus)
“We’d like to take the chance to thank all our customers and encourage you all to go out to your local, independent restaurants and cafes. They need it.”
The building, at number 60 Church Road, was left with a note from the landlord Moretons Investments Limited, a property investment firm which leases out to almost 50 businesses in Brighton and Hove.
The note read that the landlord had re-entered the site which meant the lease is forfeited.
The most common reason for forfeiture of a lease is non-payment of rent, although this has not been confirmed as the reason for the business’s closure.
A sign is also up stating that the site is available to rent.
Pesca Trattoria was the first expansion outside of London by business partners Andrea Mantovani and Peter Hughes who owned restaurants together in the capital.
The business was co-owned Mr Scothern who was previously general manager at one of their London venues Mele e Pere.
Mr Scothern and Mr Hughes are both directors for Apples and Pears Restaurants Limited.
Companies House financial accounts from December 2022, the most recent available, showed that Apple’s and Pears Restaurants Limited owed £236,127 to creditors, up from £167,331 the year before.
The sudden closure comes ten months after nearby Café Malbec shut its doors at the end of March last year.
Pesca’s website stated that it was a “dream opportunity” to expand to Hove when Mr Scothern moved to Hove in 2021.
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