Iconic Bricktown Restaurant To Close

The owner of an iconic Bricktown hot spot said the doors are closing after nearly two decades of business.

Nonna's Ristorante and Bar will step aside for something new on the corner of Sheridan Avenue and Mickey Mantle Drive.

Nonna's owner Avis Scaramucci said she knows her restaurant would not have never been possible if it weren't for hard work and a little magic.

"What would I tell Avis in the coffee-serving days? I would tell her she's in for one of the most delightful experiences of a lifetime," said owner of Nonna's, Avis Scaramucci.

And that's how Scaramucci described her journey of the past 19 years, from a 26-seat bakery on Western Avenue to the grand palace of a restaurant in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City.

"I got here and just about scared myself to death because, yeah, it seemed so big," said Avis.

Yet the farm girl from Altus was able to make the old brick warehouse feel more like a home for the past decade.

"Know the values and remember your roots," said Avis.

Those roots were on display throughout the restaurant. Her favorite spots, the private dining rooms were named after each grandchild.

Grandchildren she said she desires to spend more time with.

So Avis decided to close the doors to Nonna's, cutting her work week from 60 hours to about 35 hours.

The decision turned customer "hello's" into fond farewells. But Avis won't be gone for good. She said she will still run the Painted Door next to the restaurant and continue her charitable work.

"To have the privilege - to make a choice - to know when the time is right to walk away from something where you know you've really done your best, that's really something I value," said Avis.

For her it's walking away from a dream, baked into reality.

"Not only did I get to dream the dream, but I was able to be a part of it and make it come true, and that's just a little bit of magic, if you will."

Nonna's will close Dec. 31.

In the meantime, Avis said she will be searching for just the right suitor to continue this building's legacy.