Centro Cafe, 808 E. Center St., has closed its doors after 17 years in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborood. The cozy Italian restaurant had been a fixture of the neighborhood since opening in 2009.
Owners Pat Moore and Peg Karpfinger did not respond to requests for comment, but a call to the restaurant confirmed its closure.
“Pat and Peg are saddened to say that they have permanently closed Centro’s doors,” the restaurant’s voicemail said. “Thank you everyone for 17 years of magic.”
Moore and Karpfinger’s bar next door, Bar Centro, 804 E. Center St., remains open, with live jazz performances scheduled through May 2.
Centro Cafe opened in 2009, specializing in Italian fare cooked in its bustling open kitchen. The cozy restaurant was known for its charming dining room made for romantic date nights and its breezy, secret garden-like back patio. The restaurant served antipasti, fresh salads and comforting Italian dishes like chicken piccata, cacio e pepe, butternut squash ravioli, pizza, Sciortino’s garlic bread, and mussels in white wine sauce.
Bar Centro opened in 2019 serving craft cocktails often set to the tune of live jazz performances. Bar Centro’s hours are 6 pm. to midnight Thursday to Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: After 17 years, Centro Cafe closes in Riverwest
Reporting by Rachel Bernhard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
