Operators of the long-standing Amici Italian Restaurant in St. Augustine say it will close, barring a purchase by new ownership.
The restaurant at 1915 Florida A1A S. posted on its Facebook page that it would close by the end of June minus a “hail Mary chance a buyer could step forward.”
Amici is owned by married couple Freddy and Jennifer Underhill, according to its website.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write,” one of the operators wrote in the Facebook post. “I apologize for so many words.”
The post says the Underhills took over the restaurant in 2020. Since then, they wrote, they had weathered the pandemic, the breakdown of nearly every piece of equipment in their first three months, labor shortages, rising costs, hurricanes and other problems.
“We fought because we believed in this place. We fought because we believed in our staff. Most importantly, we fought because we believe in this community,” the post says.
Reporting by the St. Augustine Record in 2025 described the 8,717-square-foot restaurant as a local landmark. It seats 150 and includes more than 4,000 square feet of banquet space that can accommodate 340 guests.
It includes two full bars, a main production kitchen and a separate pizza kitchen, according to the Record.