Italian restaurants Babbo and Lupa are changing hands, joining the Starr Restaurants portfolio, as reported by Eater NY.
Babbo and Lupa are currently owned by Joe Bastianich. Babbo has been open in Greenwich Village since 1998 and serves high-end Italian cuisine and wine. Lupa has been open in SoHo since 1999 and serves traditional Roman cuisine.
Starr Restaurants has a variety of concepts in its portfolio across Philadelphia, New York, Florida and Washington, D.C. President Stephen Starr has been in the hospitality and entertainment business for decades, and he has played a major role in the restaurant industry in his hometown of Philadelphia.
“STARR Restaurants presents a world of remarkable experiences with a portfolio as diverse as it is daring,” the Starr Restaurants website states. “Showcasing concepts that capture the elements of Latin America, Asia, the UK, the U.S. and beyond, STARR awakens tastes and enlivens palates with creative interpretations of rich cooking traditions from around the world.”
Other New York brands that fall into the Starr Restaurants portfolio include Le Cafe Louis Vuitton, Pastis, Upland and Le Cou Cou.
What Now New York got in touch with Starr, but he was not immediately available to provide further comment.
