La Trattoria restaurant collapse Sunday in Naples: What to know
A Naples restaurant partially collapsed Sunday, leaving nine people injured.
La Trattoria is at the east end of Fifth Avenue South, the main downtown street, near where U.S. 41 turns from being north-south to east-west.
Here’s what we know this morning.
What happened Sunday at La Trattoria
Naples police reported on Facebook on Sunday that, at 6:44 p.m., Naples police, Naples Fire-Rescue and Collier County EMS responded to a report of a partial structural collapse at the restaurant, 878 Fifth Ave. S.
Police assisted with evacuating the building and surrounding area, shutting down Fifth Avenue South between Ninth Street South and Eighth Street South “as part of this ongoing and active investigation.”
“The collapse appears to be isolated to this structure and neighboring buildings are not affected,” police said in its Facebook statement.
What’s the status of the injured
There’s no new information this morning. Seven of the nine injured were transported to area hospitals.
What restaurant was there before La Trattoria
For years, the spot was home to the Mangrove Cafe that often was among the first restaurants southbound drivers saw when they turned right or west onto Fifth Avenue South.
Mangrove Cafe operated for a quarter-century at that spot. The husband-and-wife team of Doug and Diane Amaral opened the restaurant in 1991 and Doug Amaral was a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America.
They cited rising costs to do business on Fifth Avenue South as one reason why they were closing at the end of 2016.
Was there another tragic event at the restaurant location
The site was rocked in January 2011 when a propane leak next to a running car sparked a flash fire that enveloped Mangrove Cafe. The explosion knocked down walls, blew out windows and sent three people to the hospital with serious burns.
When did La Trattoria open along Fifth Avenue South
The Italian restaurant opened in late 2018, joining two other restaurants owned by the same group, BiCe Ristaurante and Caffe Milano.
And when the Naples Daily News last year held a pizza madness challenge asking readers to participate, La Trattoria made it to the “final four.”
When La Trattoria opened six years ago, owners referred to it as a “very rustic Italian restaurant, where we concentrate more on the pizza.”
Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and News-Press. Follow him on Instagram and Threads @lacrossewriter and on X (formerly Twitter) @NDN_dosborn.
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2024-07-29 12:17:19