Popular Farmington Restaurant Closes Down

FARMINGTON, CT — Citing a lease dispute with their new landlords, the owners of a popular Farmington eatery announced their restaurant's sudden closure Tuesday.

According to Cugino's Restaurant of Farmington's Facebook page, the restaurant at 1053 Farmington Ave. had been open for more than 20 years.

But due to problems negotiating a lease, its owners — Mario Cirikovic and his wife, Janice England-Cirikovic, announced they had to quickly close.

The couple signed the letter jointly on Facebook.

Cugino's was known for Italian cuisine and steaks, as well as being a regular place for locals to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and, simply, weekly meals, according to the couple.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce we have closed our doors at Cugino's of Farmington," wrote the Cirikovics. "We want to express our gratitude to our community for supporting our business over the past 20 plus years."

The couple said, because of the lease dispute, "we were recently put into a position to vacate sooner than expected."

In addition, the owners thanked all the past and present workers at the restaurant.

"Together, we have built a prosperous business over these past 20 years and we could not have done it without each of you," they said.

While Cugino's is no more, the couple vowed the Farmington community has not seen the end of them.

They said, "this is not our final farewell, as we will be pursuing other opportunities within this community that we love. Stay tuned for more information from your Cugino's family."

To read the full closure announcement, click the Cugino's Facebook page.