Popular Family Restaurant To Close In Norwich As Owner Plans To Open New Eatery

NORWICH, CT — Canggio Restaurant/Bar, a popular family restaurant that offers modern Peruvian cuisine, is set to close in Norwich as an owner plans to open a new eatery in Connecticut.

In a Facebook post on July 11, head chef Julio Cancho, who co-owns the restaurant with Jose Cancho and Cesar Viggio, according to the restaurant's website, said the time had come "to say goodbye to the place where it all began."

Located at 20 Lafayette Street, the restaurant has been serving up modern Peruvian cuisine and a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine for a number of years, according to the website.

In a video included in the restaurant's post, the Canggio team noted their restaurant has been more than a business over the past 10 years; it has also been a home, a place where friendships are made and a place where families and friends could celebrate milestones and create memories together.

"This is the place where my father and my uncle believed in me from the very beginning," the post reads. "A place that gave me the opportunity to learn, grow, make mistakes, celebrate victories and become the person I am today. While we're saying goodbye to this chapter, we're doing so with hearts full of gratitude because we're simply moving on to bigger and better things."

The Day reports Cancho currently plans to close the restaurant at the end of next month and open a new restaurant in September with his girlfriend, Elena Lettieri, who has managed Canggio for a number of years.

In the post, Cancho said the new restaurant will be named Bella Canggio.

"The name itself tells our story," the post reads. "Bella represents Elena the love, passion and legacy she brings to this new adventure. Canggio honors my family's legacy, the foundation that made all of this possible and the name that will forever be part of who we are."

According to the video, the new restaurant will be located at 78 Main Street in the Centerbrook area of Essex.

"While this new restaurant will have a new name and new vision, it will be built on the same values that brought us here," Cancho said in the video, "hard work, respect, family, hospitality and serving every guest with heart."

In the post, Cancho thanked the Norwich restaurant's staff for their trust, love and dedication over the years.

"Your hard work has never gone unnoticed," the post reads. "We are endlessly grateful for each and every one of you, and we love you all with our whole hearts. This has always been so much more than a workplace, it has been a family. We only want the very best for every one of you, and we hope you know how much you've meant to us throughout this journey."

Cancho also noted his journey in Norwich has given him more than he could have ever imagined.

"It introduced me to an incredible community, lifelong friendships, unforgettable experiences and an amazing staff who became family," the post reads. "Most importantly, it led me to finding the love of my life, Elena. As we begin this new chapter together, we couldn't be more excited. We get to build something side by side, doing what we both truly love, while carrying forward the values and traditions that brought us here."