Tel Aviv seaside restaurant Sitara will shut down permanently after missile damage

Sitara, the long-running North Tel Aviv restaurant facing the sea, is closing permanently after 22 years in business. Owner and founder Harel Blo told Walla Food that during the war with Iran a missile hit the restaurant and devastated it, and although he initially planned to renovate and relaunch, the wider wartime situation changed those plans.

Blo said he kept paying 100,000 shekels a month in rent for the empty property for a year and a half. During that period, he negotiated with possible investors, including the international ZUMA chain, but every time talks appeared close, the security situation in Israel worsened and the deal fell through.

He said the decision to close came about two months ago, after concluding that the cost of waiting had become greater than any potential benefit. Blo said that despite opposition from employees and family, he spent 18 months paying large sums for a vacant site while tourism and the rest of his businesses also suffered because of the security situation and falling visitor numbers.

In a farewell message, Blo thanked the diners and guests who supported the restaurant over the years, praised suppliers who stood by the business, and thanked the thousands of employees who worked there in every role. He said, "We will meet again in the next project."