Papa Razzi will be closing its doors. Photo by Jennifer Lord Paluzzi

Papa Razzi to close in July

By Anne O’Connor anne@theconcordbridge.org
February 16, 2023

When the lease expires this summer, Papa Razzi Trattoria on Elm Street will close its doors. 

“Due to significant issues pertaining to our lease, Newport Restaurant Group has made the difficult decision to close its Papa Razzi Trattoria location in Concord, Massachusetts effective July 31, 2023, at the conclusion of our existing lease,” Paul O’Reilly, president and CEO of the group wrote in a statement.

Purchased by the Newport Restaurant Group in 2012, Papa Razzi has been a beloved part of Concord and a successful piece of the group’s portfolio, O’Reilly continued.

“We are saddened to close its doors and will work to relocate our valued employee-owners to other nearby existing and soon-to-open Newport Restaurant Group restaurants in the coming months,” he wrote.

The location has around 60 full- and part-time employees. The nearest Papa Razzi in the chain is in Wellesley. Bar ‘Cino in Watertown will open later this year and many will transfer there, a company statesperson wrote.

In the late 1930s, Howard Johnson opened a restaurant just off Route 2 according to highwayhistory.org. The motor inn, currently a Best Western which will be used as a family homeless shelter starting in March, was added in 1962.