Owner James Andrews, pictured here in a 2011 photo, on Monday closed Ciao Restaurant and Primo Jazz Room. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
Ciao Restaurant and Primo Jazz Room, 3308 S. Peoria Ave., has closed, owner James Andrews confirmed Wednesday.
Ciao was known for its Italian-styled menu, especially dishes such as lobster ravioli and diavolo di mare, and as a venue for local and regional jazz performers.
The restaurant opened in August 2003 as Ciao! Baby by Marc Mateos, who transformed his Enzo Pizzeria into a cozy gathering place with a big-city atmosphere. Justin Thompson, chef-proprietor of Juniper, was the first executive chef.
Less than a year later Mateos sold the restaurant to Robert Merrifield and Andrews, and a few years ago Andrews bought Merrifield’s interest.
The Primo Jazz Room was added about four years ago when a neighboring salon went out of business. It seated about 50 and offered live jazz on the weekends.
“The irony is it wasn’t a lack of business at Ciao that caused us to close,” Andrews said. “The problem was the tax debts we incurred from closing Calistoga at RiverWalk Crossing and the money we lost in that whole RiverWalk thing.
“The way it was set up, Ciao also was liable for those debts, and the OTC (Oklahoma Tax Commission) recently changed our payback plan, and I couldn’t meet it.”
Hope Egan was Ciao’s general manager for eight years, and chef Fernando Flores had been there off and on since the beginning.
“I’m really sorry to see it go,” Egan said. “I thank Tulsa and the music community for all of the love and support we received over the years.”
Egan still operates a catering business called Hope’s Table. Its phone number is 918-728-0168.
