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Girasole Restaurant in Pleasanton closes
Skip Hinsley to continue operatingcatering business
Girasole, a popular Italian restaurant in the Santa Rita Square shopping center at 3180 Santa Rita Rd. next to West Las Positas Boulevard, has closed.
Its owner Skip Hinsley said age and the need to pay more attention to his successful and growing catering business caused him to close the restaurant.
Pampered Palate Catering will continue to operate, but from a different Pleasanton location, Hinsley said.
“It was a difficult decision, but my age and health make it difficult to continue the 24/7 (operating hours) necessary to maintain both the restaurant and our busy catering business,” Hinsley said in a statement also posted on the Girasole front door.
Hinsley said a new owner will take over the Girasole building and will open a restaurant with a new name and featuring different cuisine. The buyer’s name was not given.
Hinsley is well-known in the Pleasanton political and business community and for years, long before he started a separate catering business, catered breakfast, lunch and dinner meals to the city’s major organizations. Last week, he catered the food for the Rotary Clubs’ breakfast for visiting delegates to the Pleasanton-Tulancingo Sister City meeting as well as last Friday’s Mayor’s Award dinner at the Dolores Bengtson Aquatic Center.
“After 20 years, it’s time,” Hinsley said. “A huge thank you to the many fine folks who patronized Girasole over the years. Your kindness and loyalty made it a pleasure to serve you. We all will miss you.”
Pampered Palate Catering can be reached at www.ppceastbay.com or by phone at (925) 484-3503. Hinsley can be reached by email at chinsley@comcast.net/
Thank you Skip for your many years of support to the Pleasanton Community and your support of Pleasanton North Rotary. You always try and do the right thing for everyone with your business and personal support. Best of luck on your ventures in Napa for we will be visiting you.
Best Wishes Skip and all his employees!
We always enjoyed our meals at Girasole, and remember how much you do for the community as well.
We will miss Girasole.
What’s a ’27/7′?
Thank you, Skip, for many years of service to patrons as well as to this community!
Skip,
PLEASE provide the new owners with your Scoozi Bread recipe.
Why was my post taken down. There was NOTHING that I said that was objectionable, no swear words, VERY truthful, so what’s the deal? Just because someone doesn’t agree with the Author they take the post down? The restaurant was very dirty and I am surprised the health department didn’t shut them down ages ago. What’s wrong with that – can’t handle the TRUTH?
Oh, by the way, the article stated 24/7, not 27/7.
Everyone here is complimenting Skip just because he knew how to play the politics???
Sue I think it had to due with relevancy. Posting your review on a closed restaurant serves NO purpose here or on Yelp, get it?
Thank you, Skip, for the wonderful food served at Girasole over the years and your generous contributions to the many Pleasanton service organizations, including Pleasanton North Rotary. I’ll miss the Chicken Gorgi…
For those of you needing a Scoozi fix and can’t have Skip cater for you soon enough, Barone’s Restaurant also has Scoozi on their menu.
Enjoy!
Skip has been a real community leader for years – he has given of himself and his business to every cause that has crossed his threshold. From the elegant Ruby Hill Charity Ball to every soccer team or ski club Skip was always there for everyone.
Skip – we will miss you but wish you all the best – you deserve it.
Skip came through every time he was asked – he even showed up himself to dish up the great food he donated to PJFL, Cub Scouts, etc.
Cheers to both Skip and his son for their kind generosity and community spirit! Wish we had more to follow his example, and wish them the best.
Well Clueless, you can’t really claim that any of the other comments serve any real purpose either. While it might not be very nice of Sue to post a negative comment about a restaurant that is closed, it is just about as useful as others saying they liked it, so relax and let her have her say. These comment boards are for everyone. Not just the ones you agree with. It seems there is less and less tolerance on these boards, even in our small community.
Brian, I’m not the content police, Sue has every right to express her opinion, her question was why her comment was deleted, I was just trying to help her connect the dots, get it?
We went to the restaurant and was not real impressed. But that is just my opinion. For those of you who liked it, I am sorry they are closing.
The Pleasanton Weekly is privately owned andmay remove or leave posts that are not in alignment with their editorial opinions.
AHHHHHHHHHH, no more scoozi!!!! I guess what’s left on my gift card is gone 🙁
We loved this place. Skip always greeted you with a smile. It was great time watch the kids use crayons and draw pictures and or play tic tax toe.It’s not always about the food, but here it was both. Fond memories. Thanks Skip.
I think it will be great for that center to get a fresh, new restaurant. The other businesses have had it rough while they were waiting for the Walmart to open, so anything that can bring in traffic should help. I must say I really never cared for Girasole, so it will be interesting to see what replaces it. Maybe something that can cater to the families with school-aged children?
I have a $50 gift card that I was planning on using the night I went there and found the resturant closed. Is there any recourse for me on the gift card? I too loved the Scoozi bread!
An Indian restaurant has opened. Lots of people I’ve seen as I’m driving through to Tues Morn and WalMarket
I remember when it was a really great Mexican place with sangaria at the bar, after several years suddenly closed without notice. Sorry it’s not Mexican. We badly need a good weeknight family Mexican in that part of town, or any part of town !!!! Please ! I always have to go to Livermore or Dublin. Maybe we can have one at new Stanley/Bernal, and another at new Valley/Bernal. Of course a Chipotle would be wonderful, somewhere close to Hacienda…need quick safe, in & out parking….like huge lot TGIF….perfect family Mexican restaurant !!!! HELLO !!!