After two years and two identities, downtown restaurant Momento is closing for good.

Its last day will be Saturday, March 16.

The eatery, located in part of the former Pazzaluna space downtown, initially opened in spring 2022 with bright, casual decor and an American menu that made use of its Italian predecessor’s wood-fired oven. The restaurant then closed briefly last summer to redefine itself and emerged in September with a new head chef, upmarket Mediterranean-inspired menu and “Old World-style” design touches.

Morrissey Hospitality, the company that runs the restaurant as well as other brands including the Saint Paul Hotel and St. Paul Grill, plans to hang onto the Momento space and use it as a private event venue. Pop-ups may occasionally be held there as well, the company said in a post on social media.

Pazzaluna opened in 1998 and when it closed in 2020, Morrissey split up its large footprint into several smaller spaces. One of these, called Three Sixty St. Peter Street, is already in use as a rentable space for meetings and other gatherings.

Representatives for Morrissey Hospitality did not return a request for comment Monday morning.

Besides the St. Paul Grill and Momento, the company also runs restaurants including Seventh Street Truck Park, New Bohemia and Stockyards Tavern & Chophouse.

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