08-08-2011, 12:13 PM
Quote:Long-standing Geppetto's Restaurant in Ashland didn't open its doors at the beginning of this week and won't again for an undetermined amount of time, as its owners have decided to close for good.http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll...F108080325
Owners John and Tiffany Trapp declined to comment on why they decided to close the restaurant, which has been serving Ashlanders under the Geppetto's name since 1977, when founders Ron Roth and his wife, Kathleen MacMichael, opened its doors.
Roth and MacMicheal sold the restaurant to the Trapps in November 2009 after more than 32 years behind its counter.
"All we know is something's going to have to be worked out," said Bob Dreiszus, who, along with his wife, Annie, owns the Beau Club next door and leases the building that housed Geppetto's. "Annie and I are disappointed with the outcome and how it all ended ... There is no specific game plan that is in place yet, but we anticipate having another eatery there."
Dreiszus declined to comment on what led to the Trapps' decision to close the restaurant, saying it was a "sensitive subject."
"It's just really unfortunate, and we'll leave it at that," he said.
Tina Gilbert, 47, of Seattle, Wash., walked up to the restaurant Friday afternoon craving a plate of its famous cheese wantons. She hung her head when she ran next door to the Beau Club and heard that one of her favorite Ashland eateries had gone out of business.
"I'm really bummed out," she said. "Geppetto's was part of the Ashland tradition."
Gilbert, who graduated from Ashland High School in 1982, said she frequented the restaurant when she lived in Ashland and made a point of eating there every time she came back.
"It's really just sad," she said. "I hope they find some way to come back."
Dreiszus said a tough economy and recent health inspection failures contributed to the decision to close.