Carl Anthony Trattoria in Monroe relocating after 25 years

Carl Anthony Trattoria will close its Monroe location in Clock Tower Square after 25 years in business, restaurant representatives announced Thursday, with plans to relocate.

Chef/owner Sam DeVellis and his Carl Anthony Restaurant Group have entered into a partnership with Market Hospitality Group, according to a statement. Eli Hawli’s Market group operates several Market Place Kitchen & Bar and Mercato Italian Kitchen & Bar locations throughout the state.

Carl Anthony will reopen in a nearby neighborhood, according to a press release, with the location to be announced at a later date. The group’s catering company will continue to operate, and any Carl Anthony gift cards will be accepted at any Market Hospitality restaurant.

DeVellis and his brother, Joe, took over an existing pizzeria in 1998 at 477 Main St., keeping its “Carl Anthony” name and later gutting it, turning it into a trattoria with “modern day meets old world” design. In a 2011 story in the Connecticut Post, DeVellis called his food “new school Italian.”

“Our success was rooted in our fearlessness and our commitment to creating a truly unique dining experience,” DeVellis said in a statement Thursday. “We didn’t have social media then. Our guests have always been our influencers, taking us on this amazing journey all these years.”

Market Hospitality Group plans to open two new locations of Mercato Italian Kitchen & Bar this year, at the Shops at Farmington Valley in Canton and Fountain Square in Shelton. Market Place Kitchen & Bar has outposts in Avon, Brookfield, Danbury, Litchfield, Newtown, Shelton and Woodbury.