Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Cinquecento to Open in Former Rocca Space in Boston's South End

The group behind several South End restaurants are going to be opening an Italian eatery in the SoWa space where another dining spot had been until closing just over a year ago.

Based on information from both The Boston Globe and Grub Street Boston, The Aquitaine Group is planning to open Cinquecento on Harrison Avenue in the SoWa section of the South End, taking over the former Rocca spot (Rocca closed at the beginning of 2011). The Globe article mentions that the new restaurant will feature mid-priced Italian food, and that extensive renovations are being done, including the atrium being demolished and the second floor being enlarged.

[February 28 update: According to the Craigslist site, Cinquecento is now hiring managers and is planning to open sometime this spring. The post also states that job candidates must have experience in high-volume "fine dining" establishments, which may indicate that Cinquecento could perhaps be more on the high end of the mid-priced spectrum that we had mentioned earlier.]

[November 14 update: An email sent to us from CBH Communications indicates that Cinquecento is hoping to open "right after Thanksgiving."]

[November 26 update: A new job post on Craigslist mentions that Cinquecento plans to open this Friday (November 30).]

The Aquitaine Group operates four other restaurants in the South End--Aquitaine, Metropolis Cafe, Union Bar and Grille, and Gaslight. It also runs Aquitaine in Chestnut Hill and Aquitaine at Legacy Place in Dedham.

The address for this upcoming Italian dining spot in the South End will be: Cinquecento, 500 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118.

For more information on the opening of Cinquecento, please go to the Boston Globe and Grub Street links below.

[Boston Globe]
Reversing a restaurant curse

[Grub Street Boston]
The Aquitaine Group's New Restaurant Will Be Called Cinquecento, Might Channel Keith McNally