Update: At least two customers to the newly-sold restaurants claimed their gift cards weren’t accepted.
Kevin Jennings, one of the new owners, addressed the issue. Jennings said both customers who complained has “Circa Group” gift cards, issued in the past. The cards don’t have specific restaurants names or logos on them and were issued for all of Ash Aziz’s restaurants.
According to Jennings, in October Aziz began selling gift cards specifically for those restaurants he would later sell. Those restaurant-specific cards are still being honored, Jennings said.
WILMINGTON — A Raleigh-based company has purchased three of Wilmington restaurateur Ash Aziz’s restaurants, but plans to continue operating them “as is.”
Urban Food Group, owned by husband-and-wife team Kevin and Stacey Jennings, purchased Brasserie du Soleil in Lumina Station, Osteria Cicchetti in the Forum near Landfall, and Boca Bay on Eastwood Road near the Wrightsville Beach Bridge. The couple currently own Vivace, a modern Italian restaurant, with locations in Raleigh and Charlotte, and Avelina, a modern American restaurant located in Denver, based around a wood-fired grill and seasonal ingredients
Aziz’s Circa Restaurant Group will retain Circa 1922 in downtown Wilmington, Junction 412 in Monkey Junction, and Pizzeria Il Forno in Barclay Commons; Aziz will reportedly continue plans to operate a new concept restaurant in Wilmington’s public-private River Place development, currently under construction in the footprint of the former Water Street Parking Deck.
According to a press release from Urban Food Group, the Jennings had not considered Wilmington as a market for expansion until learning Aziz was considering retiring (or, at least, scaling back from his six-going-on-seven restaurant empire).
“These much-loved restaurants are very similar to our group’s in concept, service approach, pricing, location – everything,” Kevin Jennings said. “We love Wilmington but hadn’t planned to expand here yet. When we learned these restaurants were going to be available – as Circa owner Ash Aziz began thinking about retirement – it seemed serendipitous.”
Jennings noted that Aziz’s business style was similar to his own.
“Ash is old school,” Jennings continued. “He’s active in the community. Many of his employees have been with him for a long time. Our philosophies are very similar.”
Perhaps because of that, Urban Food Group said little would change beyond “new technology to aid servers, kitchen and back office staff” at the restaurants, despite the new ownership.
“We’ll maintain Ash’s commitment to quality, staff and guests,” Jennings said. “The restaurant names won’t change, the staff – we sincerely hope – won’t change and the food quality won’t change.”
To handle operations, Urban Food Group will bring on Albert Kahn, formerly of Raleigh-based LM Restaurants and former General Manager of Hops Supply Co. on Oleander Drive. Kahn has made Wilmington his home for some time.
