Vito's Madison Grill, the currently-defunct bar/ restaurant with a somewhat less than stellar reputation, appears to be under new management. The First Hill Improvement Association has a letter up from Greg Lundgren:
Dear First Hill Community Group,
My name is Greg Lundgren and I am a ten year resident of first hill, and own two businesses here, at 1005 and 1011 Boren Avenue (The Hideout and Lundgren Monuments). Myself and my business partner, Jeff Scott, recently signed a long term lease on the Vito's Restaurant and Lounge space, located at 927- 9th avenue, and are in the early stages of renovation.
We wanted to reach out to the First Hill community to share our vision and committment to providing a quality and safe cultural outlet to the neighborhood, and put to rest any concerns that Vitos of the future will function like Vitos of the past 20 years.
As residents and business owners on First Hill, our top priority is to improve the quality of the neighborhood in all regards. We are well informed about the very negative history Vito's has offered, and have an intelligent, thoughful and dynamic plan for it's resurection.
There will be no hip-hop, rap, karoke or club promoted nights. We have removed the dancefloor and have purchased a beautiful grand piano for live performance. Our goal is to return Vitos to the neighborhood, offer quality food, service and entertainment, and reach out to the three generations of Seattlittes that hold fond memories there.
We would love the opportunity to meet with your group and extend our hand and vision. It has been a derelict space for far too long and once our extensive renovation is complete (late summer of 2010), Vitos will stand as a proud compliment to our neighborhood. Hard to believe, given it's blemished past, but we are in a unique position to do this. We have strong alliances with Town Hall, The Frye Art Museum, The Sorrento as well as many of the local small businesses. We plan on Vitos integrating into this fabric, and offering a very special address for food, drink and classic entertainment.
If you have any questions, or could suggest the best date to introduce ourselves and our vision, we would be delighted to turn any apprehension into enthusiasm.
Sincerely,
Greg Lundgren
As mentioned in his letter, he's already well-versed with First Hill having two businesses and a residence here. Having a revitalized Vito's will surely be a great addition to the neighborhood, especially considering the new owners have a long-term vision for the space.
The expected re-opening is August.
