Girasole, a popular Italian restaurant in the Santa Rita Square shopping center at 3180 Santa Rita Road 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 484-3503. Hinsley can be reached by email at chinsley@comcast.net.
