By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor Published Mar 07, 2017 at 10:31 AM

It’s an unfortunate week for Italian franchises, it seems. Yesterday we reported that Buca di Beppo on Van Buren had closed. And today, we’ve confirmed that Rosati’s at 2238 N. Farwell Ave., is also shuttered.

The news was first reported to us last night by OnMilwaukee writer Dave Begel, who reported that he drove past and found the restaurant dark during a nightly Uber drive. A posting last night from Milwaukee Record corroborated the report. 

Upon further investigation this morning, we found the restaurant dark and empty, with equipment being boxed and unloaded.

The location, a prime spot on Farwell, has been a bit of a rotating door of late. The long-time home of Oriental Drugs has since been home to a convenience store, Twisted Fork and Replay Sports Bar. But none of the more recent tenants have stuck. Rosati’s, which opened in November 2015, was open for little more than a year.

It begs the question: What type of business would thrive on the busy East Side corner?

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor

As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.