Danks Street claims another casualty as Beccafico closes

A glitzy Matt Woods interior and encouraging reviews couldn't save Waterloo's Beccafico restaurant, which has closed after just seven months. Seasoned restaurateurs Carlo Lombardo and Les Huynh chose to open the Italian restaurant in the upmarket Casba development on Danks Street, arguing the tide had turned for Waterloo after booming neighbour Alexandria stole some of its lustre. "There just isn't enough night-time trade for us," Lombardo says. "We had good feedback and good reviews, but we are a bigger restaurant and it just isn't commercially viable to continue."

Danks Street has proved a volatile restaurant stock, with Fratelli Fresh and Danks Street Depot both exiting the strip (although Mosman's massive Fourth Village could yet prove a white knight, with a planned launch in the old Fratelli site). Lombardo says they are weighing their options about whether to relaunch or close for good. "We could always rebrand and do a pizzeria," he says.