# Bakersfield’s Uricchio’s closes after 31 years

> A beloved downtown Italian spot shut its doors after decades of meals, memories, and post-pandemic strain.
- Title: Bakersfield’s Uricchio’s closes after 31 years | Shortify
- Summary: A beloved downtown Italian spot shut its doors after decades of meals, memories, and post-pandemic strain. Uricchio’s was more than a restaurant for…
- Keywords: uricchio's trattoria, bakersfield, kern county, downtown bakersfield, italian restaurant, restaurant closure, nick uricchio, claire porter, covid-19 pandemic, chicken piccata, news, entertainment
- Source: California Post — https://nypost.com/2026/09/15/business/bakersfield-restaurant-uricchios-closes-after-31-years
- Published: 2026-09-15T20:34:01+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: uricchio's trattoria, bakersfield, kern county, downtown bakersfield, italian restaurant, restaurant closure, nick uricchio, claire porter, covid-19 pandemic, chicken piccata, news, entertainment
## Last meal served
Uricchio’s Trattoria in downtown Bakersfield announced Monday that it had closed after 31 years in business.

> Dear friends, we have decided to close.
## A downtown fixture
The Italian restaurant was a favorite for Kern County power lunchers and helped bring energy to a quieter part of downtown.
## Summer break became final
Uricchio’s first told customers it would take a summer break in July, then chose not to reopen.

> This decision did not come easily.
## Fans mourned the run
Customers filled the comments with memories of celebrations, weeknight dinners, and family milestones at the restaurant’s tables.

> You will be missed
## Built by Nick Uricchio
Nick Uricchio opened the restaurant in 1995 after years in Los Angeles hospitality, including the Beverly Hilton and Friars Club of Beverly Hills.
## Pressure finally caught up
Claire Porter, Uricchio’s daughter, said several post-COVID strains piled up, including losing a longtime chef. She felt the restaurant had its moment.

> I feel like we had our moment in the sun and it was time.
## Key takeaway

Uricchio’s was more than a restaurant for Bakersfield, but rising pressures after COVID and staff losses made the family decide its run was over.