Perch Pub to close, ending an era on Broad Street

Perch Pub - the remnant of Joe Varalli's longtime restaurant collection at Broad and Locust Streets - will close after business on March 27 (Easter Sunday).

The buildings' owner announced plans last year to develop a hotel on the property.

In early 1989, Varalli opened Upstares at Varalli, a Northern Italian restaurant, on the second floor at the northeast corner of Broad and Locust. (After closing Upstares in 2010, he reconfigured it as the more casual Perch Pub.)

In 1999, Varalli opened a seafood restaurant below Upstares called Sotto Varalli. It closed in July 2015, shortly after the building and two adjacent properties were sold.

The restaurants, across the intersection from the Academy of Music and Merriam Theater, have been popular among theatergoers.

In a note to customers, Varalli said the new owners have asked him to cease operations as of April 1.

"No fooling," he wrote.

"It has been an exciting and fulfilling 28 years here on the corner of Broad and Locust Streets. I will truly miss the view from my Perch. We must leave our Perch and search for new vistas. To date, I have not been able to find a suitable location that meets all my criteria. I had hoped to find us a new home before we were told we had to vacate Perch Pub. This will not be the case, unfortunately."

Mama Angelina's, the pizzeria in the same building beneath Perch Pub at 1337 Locust St., also will close, its owner confirmed. He would not disclose the final day of operation, saying he would put a sign on the door.