Corso Italian in Shirlington (Arlington) has closed permanently after flooding caused by exterior construction significantly damaged the restaurant last month.
The restaurant had initially planned to reopen and said that as recently as last Friday, its team was testing recipes and rebuilding schedules in preparation for welcoming customers back.
According to Corso, those plans changed later that day when the restaurant received new information from its landlord indicating that flood remediation and repairs could not be completed on a timeline that would allow the restaurant to reopen in a timely manner. Corso and the landlord subsequently agreed to end the lease.
“Suddenly, instead of reopening Corso, we are saying goodbye,” owner Jill Erber wrote in announcing the closure. The restaurant had been part of the Shirlington community alongside its predecessor, Cheesetique Shirlington, for a combined 15 years.
“We thought we were preparing for a reopening, not an ending, and I wish we could have given Corso a proper goodbye,” Erber wrote. “I will always be incredibly proud of what we created there, and even more proud of the people who created it with me.” Corso thanked customers for 15 years of support in Shirlington.
