Matteo's restaurant on market
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Staff Writer
Matteo's, a classic fine-dining restaurant with white tablecloths and intimate booths, is for sale or lease.
Owner Fred Livingston, who operates five other restaurants on O'ahu, says he has a buyer who wants to keep the menu and staff of 42, but the deal may take 30 to 60 days to confirm.
"We have had three offers," said Livingston, whose 20-year lease is up in October. "I'm looking at the offer that would carry on what we're doing, with existing staff and menu.
"I'd say that it's a 99 percent done deal, but you can't assume anything."
Located in the Marine Surf Hotel at Seaside and Kuhio Avenues, Matteo's has been a celebrity hangout for years. It was founded by the late Matteo "Matty" Jordan, who patterned its appeal after his original Matteo's in Westwood.
Local governors and statesmen have eaten there regularly since the restaurant opened in 1972. Such notables as singer Sammy Davis Jr., actor Peter Lawford, TV anchor Walter Cronkite and boxer Joe Louis huddled in the cozy booths in the early years.
Don Ho is a "quiet" regular, preferring the serenity and privacy of Matteo's over the restaurant that bears his name, Don Ho's Island Grill, which Livingston also owns, along with the Trattoria, the Crouching Lion, Davey Jones Ribs and Sunset Grill.
Livingston acquired Matteo's in 1985; the site originally housed Nick's Fishmarket, which moved several blocks 'ewa on Kuhio Avenue.
Livingston said the closing of the movie theaters in Waikiki in 2002 and 2003 hurt his business.
"But Matteo's is a destination, not just a wandering-by place — though Seaside is kind of dark now without the theaters," he said.
"I think when Consolidated (which closed the Waikiki Twins, IMAX screen on Seaside and Waikiki 3 on Kalakaua Avenue) turns the space into a retail mall, the lights and traffic will come back."
Matteo's is a throwback to such places as the former Cavalier and Canlis' restaurants, where reservations were a must. The new Bistro at Century Center and Hy's Steak House on Kuhio Avenue carry on that spirit.
Matteo's menu features Italian specialities such as osso buco as well as steak, lamb and pasta, and probably the best tableside Caesar's salad in town. For a few years, there also was a Matteo's downtown.
Russell Druce, who has managed the Waikiki restaurant for 20 years, would stay on if the new, local owner seals the deal. The two other offers would change Matteo's format.
Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.
