Venus at the Spa Closing

Venus at the Spa, the Italian eatery that opened at the Spa at South Coast Plaza just under two years ago, will close on Oct. 12, the restaurant’s owner said Wednesday.

Venus was the latest project from Salvatore Cesareo and Massimo Navaretta, co-owners and operators of the nearby Amici Trattoria. “The terms of the lease were up and we feel it’s time to move on with other projects,” Cesareo said. “It’s just for the same reasons that people sometimes change jobs.”

Some restaurant industry observers said the restaurant, which features Italian cuisine, was hindered by a hard-to-find location inside the Spa building on Town Center Drive between the Performing Arts Center and the South Coast Repertory.

“The venue was not the issue,” Cesareo said. “It’s a simple matter of the lease expiring and it being time to explore new options.” The decision “has nothing to do with Amici,” he emphasized. “We’ve been here six years, and we’re here to stay.”