Za’s Italian Cafe, a locally owned, family favorite fast-casual restaurant concept with two Champaign locations, has closed its doors permanently.
The owners announced the restaurant closings in a Facebook post late Wednesday afternoon.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of our two Za’s locations. We are thankful to our customers and the community for the support we’ve received over the last 13 years. We’ve made many new friends and have had wonderful experiences serving our amazing community. We will miss you all.
A special thank you to our employees for all of their hard work and sacrifice over the years. You are like family to us and we wish you all the best in the future.”
The fast casual concept offered salads, pastas, personal-sized pizzas, and soups. Each item (with exception of soup) was highly customizable, with a wide selection of toppings and sauces. It also had coffee drinks, a wide selection of iced tea, and a great tiramisu among other desserts.
One of the restaurants was located just south of Market Place Shopping Center. The other restaurant was located on west Springfield Avenue, part of the extended Country Fair footprint.
Both locations had been previously Grandy’s restaurants, a homestyle cooking chain that featured country-fried steaks and mashed potatoes.
For more on Champaign-Urbana restaurants opening and closing, see our latest update: https://www.chambanamoms.com/2017/12/21/restaurant-openings-closings-champaign/