Restaurant News & Reviews

Italian restaurant closes after more than a decade in SLO County

A cozy Italian trattoria, pizzeria and wine bar in Cayucos “is closed indefinitely” as of Aug. 10, according to a sign on the glass door of Café della Via.

The notice thanked customers “for all the years of support and fabulous memories” at the North Coast eatery.

At 155 N. Ocean Ave. in the main part of the beach-town’s business area near Cayucos Pier and the Cayucos Vets Hall, Café della Via is surrounded by some other small restaurants and eateries, some of which have been there for decades.

Owner Denise Hallmeyer told The Tribune on Tuesday at the restaurant that the decision to close “was sudden,” but she didn’t elaborate on what triggered it after the family had been there for more than a decade.


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“A lot of other restaurants have closed,” she said.

Hallmeyer doesn’t know what the future holds for the bright yellow building, she said, although she did acknowledge that it might possibly involve the Hallmeyers again someday.

Café della Via is next door to and has a connecting door into the Cayucos Coffee, a small business she and husband Perry Hallmeyer own.

“He’ll continue to run that, as he has for years,” Denise Hallmeyer said. “Maybe he’ll add some new pastries and quiches” to the menu.

Cafe della Via’s website is private now.

This sign, announcing an indefinite closure, appeared suddenly on the door of Cafe della Via, a small trattoria, pizzeria and wine bar in Cayucos.
This sign, announcing an indefinite closure, appeared suddenly on the door of Cafe della Via, a small trattoria, pizzeria and wine bar in Cayucos. Kathe Tanner ktanner@thetribunenews.com

This story was originally published August 14, 2024 at 5:00 AM.

Kathe Tanner
The Tribune
Kathe Tanner has been writing about the people and places of SLO County’s North Coast since 1981, first as a columnist and then also as a reporter. Her career has included stints as a bakery owner, public relations director, radio host, trail guide and jewelry designer. She has been a resident of Cambria for more than four decades, and if it’s happening in town, Kathe knows about it.
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