Bravo, Brio have a new owner

The potential suitor for a large part of the Bravo Cucina Italiana and Brio Tuscan Grille chain of restaurants has made it official: the marriage is complete, and there are promises of better times ahead.

Earl Enterprises, the restaurant company that operates Planet Hollywood and Buca di Beppo restaurant brands, among others, announced Thursday that it has acquired the assets of Brio and Bravo from FoodFirst Global Restaurants, which had filed for reorganization bankruptcy in April.

“We’re very excited about adding these restaurants to our group and look forward to not only investing in the future of BRIO and BRAVO!, but also the employees who are the backbone of these two restaurants,” Robert Earl, chairman of Earl Enterprises, said in a release. “As a bright light in this challenging time, once all locations are fully operational, we look forward to welcoming back more than 4,000 employees who have been in limbo since FoodFirst filed for bankruptcy.”

The release said fans “of these two beloved restaurants can rest assured that the inspired cuisine, gracious service, and unique charm that make up the brand identities of BRIO and BRAVO! will not only be preserved but nurtured to reach even greater heights by Earl Enterprises through their steadfast devotion to cultivating an environment for exceptional hospitality.”

This news outlet reached out to the spokeswoman for Earl Enterprises to try to find out what impact the change of ownership would have on locations still operating in the Dayton area.

Bravo operates a restaurant in front of the Dayton Mall in Miami Twp., and Brio operates a location at The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek. Both are operating as carryout and delivery locations, and customers are being told by employees that they are gearing up to open the dining rooms of each restaurant. A Bravo employee said his restaurant’s dining room could open as early as next week, whereas Brio is probably a couple of weeks away, its employees said.

“Details are still being determined across the board ... so there’s no further location-specific information that we can share at this time,” the spokeswoman for the new owner of Brio and Bravo said.