Another Salt Lake City restaurant is saying arrivederci. This time it is the iconic Cannella’s Restaurant and Lounge, which is closing after 42 years in business. “It had a really good run,” owner Joe Cannella said Tuesday, “but it’s become harder and harder to make it work.” Cannella said 2020 started off rocky for the Italian eatery, with the January homeless camp — and protests — at nearby City Hall.

Then came the coronavirus shutdown, an earthquake and, more recently, protests against racism and police violence — events that have kept customers away from the restaurant’s downtown location at 204 E. 500 South. “It’s a hard decision,” Cannella said, “but ultimately the right one for us right now.”