After 45 years of activity, the historic 'Caffè Verdi', known for its location next to the Teatro alla Scala, will close definitively at the end of December 2024. The Kryalos company, owner of the property in via Verdi, announced to the managers of the café, Maria Rosso and her son Luigi Speranzella, the impossibility of renewing the contract because it will be used for the American investment company Blackstone.
“To our request to renegotiate the rent they responded that they had other interests. I think, then, about inserting signatures” he explains Luigi, family collaborator of the restaurant. “The customers are sorry, even Maestro Muti commented.” Furthermore, Caffè Verdi has always stood out for objects, paintings and statues linked to the world of cinema and theatre. “Being between La Scala and the Brera Academy we wanted to create a thread of culture to make the artists feel at home. Reluctantly we are selling off” concludes Luigi.
Blackstone's will to transform the building to include luxury brands and revaluing it in the event of resale is seen as speculation that risks erasing a piece of Milanese history. The closure of Caffè Verdi represents a defeat for the culture and tradition of the city.
