Little Italy’s Nolita Hall Delays Re-opening Due to Rise in Covid-19 Positives

Nolita Hall in Little Italy, citing fears about the recent rise in Covid-19 infections, will delay re-opening until at least the end of July.

The restaurant announced the development Tuesday via Instagram, while sharing a letter to the business’ staff with followers.

“We hope this ‘look behind the curtain’ will help us continue to earn your support and trust because that is what really matters in the long run – we can stomach the pain in the meantime,” Nolita officials wrote in an image accompanying the post.

In the staff letter in the main post, they explained further:

“Short term, it’s gut wrenching on many levels but given the continuing increase in positive tests County and Nationwide we believe this is the right thing to do for the health and safety of you all and our guests. We’re not saying all restaurants should close and we need to stay inside forever, we all want to get back out there and we can make decisions based on the information we have and risks we are willing to take, we just think in light of recent data and trends this is the best decision for the Nolita Family right now.”

Nolita Hall’s decision follows another announcement last month that an employee had tested positive for the virus. In Tuesday’s post, the restaurant said the individual was “doing very well.”

The restaurant had re-opened at the end of May, but posted on Instagram on June 17 about the initial plan to close again for two weeks due to the staffer’s illness.

Eater San Diego first reported on the restaurant’s decision to extend the new closure.

Nolita Hall has received kudos for its design while being featured in the 2019 Michelin Guide and Martha Stewart Weddings.

View this post on Instagram

**see post image for context⁠ ⁠ June 25, 2020⁠ ⁠ Dear Nolita Family,⁠ ⁠ We’re not going to start this by saying we are in unprecedented times because we can’t stand hearing that phrase anymore. We’d like to be more blunt anyway: what a f*n nightmare this whole COVID thing is. Just when we thought we were waking up to a bright light in the distance, it seems to have started to dim again. Still, in spite of all this, we remain eternal optimists and have hope, confidence even, that the light will begin to shine soon and in the end it will be brighter than it ever was.⁠ ⁠ For now though, we are writing to let you know that after days on end of trying to figure out the best thing to do for Nolita, and above all each and every one of you, we have come to the decision to stay closed for a few weeks beyond June 30. Short term, it’s gut wrenching on many levels but given the continuing increase in positive tests County and Nationwide we believe this is the right thing to do for the health and safety of you all and our guests. We’re not saying all restaurants should close and we need to stay inside forever, we all want to get back out there and we can make decisions based on the information we have and risks we are willing to take, we just think in light of recent data and trends this is the best decision for the Nolita Family right now. ⁠ ⁠ We will continue to monitor the situation and will be reopening in due time….we’re just not certain exactly when that will be. I understand this leaves some uncertainty which sucks but it’s a fool’s errand to try and predict what the next few weeks will look like. What we can say with absolute certainty though, is that the goal and hope is to be open again towards the end of July and barring a rapid decline in the COVID outlook, we will 100% be open come August. ⁠ ⁠ We hope you understand it is with the utmost care and concern for our Nolita Family that we make this decision, and we do not take it lightly. We will update you as we have more information and our plans continue to solidify.

A post shared by Nolita Hall (@nolitahall) on Jun 30, 2020 at 5:21pm PDT

– Staff reports