A Highly-Rated Italian Restaurant in Cedar Rapids Has Permanently Closed

Bad news for pasta lovers! Bari Italian in Cedar Rapids has officially shut its doors for good.

According to a new article from the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Bari Italian's temporary closure is no longer temporary. The popular restaurant shut its doors on January 1st for a winter break, which they do every year, with the expectation of opening up again at the end of January. Unfortunately, that closure was extended into February due to frozen pipes, which they mentioned on their Facebook page on January 27th. Now it appears that Bari Italian won't reopen at all. That was made clear by an auction for the restaurant's equipment and decor that showed up online in recent days. You can check out all the items available on the Backes Auctioneers website HERE. Bari Italian is also now listed as "permanently closed" on Google.

Bari Italian, which is located at 450 1st St SW across from the McGrath Amphitheatre, first opened its doors in 2019 and was a popular place for date nights and special occasions. The restaurant had some great reviews, with a 4.6-star rating on Google. The Gazette reports that owner B.J. Hobart had been trying to sell the restaurant to new owners, but that the "attempt to find a buyer [was] not publicly announced."

If you're looking for delicious Italian food in the Cedar Rapids area, Napoli's Italian Restaurant is always an option! There are now two locations: the original at 500 Marion Blvd in Marion and the one at 2360 Edgewood Rd SW in Cedar Rapids, which opened in November of 2023. You can check out a list of other highly-rated Italian restaurants in Eastern Iowa below!