Business & Tech

Closed Restaurants Allow New Portsmouth Eateries To Emerge

Dolphin Striker owners the latest to start new venture at former Bella Sol restaurant on Market Street.

On Thursday afternoon, Michelle Massidda and Peter DiZoglio were debating what to call the new restaurant they are creating at the former Bella Sol on Market Street.

DiZoglio and Massidda, along with her husband and chef, Scott Massidda, are the owners of the Dolphin Striker restaurant on Bow Street. Suddenly, a decision was made: "Michelle's on Market Square/Country European Bistro."

Soon, city residents and visitors will see a whole new restaurant where the former Bella Sol operated until it closed in late June.

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DiZoglio said the new restaurant will have all new kitchen equipment, rustic tiles in the floor, copper ceilings "and splashes of granite" along with accent lighting. Local artist Francois Lamothe is also doing a painting that will be featured in the new bistro's sign and logo.

"We're shooting for people to walk in to feel like they are walking into any European style bistro they would find in Europe," said DiZoglio.

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The emergence of the new Michelle's On Market Square comes at the same time as some other Portsmouth restaurants have closed. Just recently, The Chef's Table on State Street at the former Molly Malone's restaurant shuttered its doors, joining the ranks of the Japanese restaurant Sakurabana on Pleasant Street and the Foobar restaurant on Congress Street, where the former Muddy River Smokehouse was located.

Meanwhile, Chef Bryan Trudel, owner of Zahtar Mediterranean Sandwich Bar on Fleet Street, is optimistic their menu of wraps, sandwiches, salads and appetizers such as hummus and Tabbouleh, will fill "a niche that really needed to be covered in Portsmouth."

Zahtar, which is located next to Ellie's Port O2 Raw Juice Bar and Oxygen Lounge, opened about a week ago.

"We have had a very good turnout and it has been busy," Trudel said.

Meanwhile, existing restaurants such as Popovers on the Square and The District, which opened in June at the former Pesce Blue, both on Congress Street, are serving alcohol in their two new outdoor dining areas as part of a city-sponsored summer pilot program.

According to Popovers staff members on Thursday, business has been very good since the gated, outdoor dining area opened in early July following final City Council approval.

Doug Bates, president of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, said Portsmouth is a dining destination and he is not surprised when new restaurants quickly fill the spaces occupied by former eateries.

Bates said there are many reasons why some restaurants fail, even if they are located in such a popular tourist destination as Portsmouth.

People often think that if they can just open a restaurant in the city, they will automatically be successful, Bates said. "Just getting into the space is not the whole enchilada," he said.

Many of Portsmouth's long-standing, mainstay restaurants are often owned by individuals or companies that have great management skills and know how best to spend their money, Bates said.

Some restaurants "just don't have the horse power to get them through that first year," Bates said.

While Bates is pleased that new restaurants are emerging as others close, he hopes a balance of restaurants, retailers and other businesses can be maintained.

"My only concern is that I don't want to see Portsmouth become a dining only town," he said. "We lose what is exactly our strength, which is our diversity."


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