And yet ... there is still a chance that restaurant could reopen as a Bravo, according to a spokeswoman for the company that last week finalized its purchase of the Bravo and Brio Tuscan Grille brands and many of its restaurants.
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When asked whether the Fairfield Commons Bravo would reopen, a spokeswoman for Earl Enterprises, the new owner of Bravo and Brio, replied via email:
“We are in talks with the landlord to reopen the restaurant and are hopeful that we will be able to come to terms that make sense for both parties.”
The mall’s management did not provide any details, but appeared to suggest that negotiations are indeed active.
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“We are unable to comment on behalf of a tenant, and it is our policy not to comment on any active leasing negotiations,” a spokeswoman for the Mall at Fairfield Commons said late last week.
Bravo operates a restaurant in front of the Dayton Mall in Miami Twp., and Brio operates a location at The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek. Both of those restaurants are open and operating as carryout, delivery and curbside-pickup locations, and its customers are being told by employees at each restaurant that they are gearing up to open the dining rooms.
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The new owners of the chains have not yet released the list of restaurants it will keep open.
“We agreed to assume at least 45 leases from the existing portfolio,” the Earl Enterprises spokeswoman said. “The exact list is still being finalized, but we are optimistic that the final count will be higher than 45.”
Earl Enterprises also operates Planet Hollywood and Buca di Beppo restaurant brands, among others. The company announced on Thursday, June 11, that it had acquired the assets of Brio and Bravo from FoodFirst Global Restaurants, which had filed for reorganization bankruptcy in April.
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“We’re very excited about adding these restaurants to our group and look forward to not only investing in the future of BRIO and BRAVO!, but also the employees who are the backbone of these two restaurants,” Robert Earl, chairman of Earl Enterprises, said in a release late last week. “As a bright light in this challenging time, once all locations are fully operational, we look forward to welcoming back more than 4,000 employees who have been in limbo since FoodFirst filed for bankruptcy.”
ALSO NEW TODAY: Dayton Mall to host sold-out free outdoor concert and performance this week
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