Centro Cafe is Permanently Closed
Riverwest restaurant is no more, but adjacent bar will continue.
Centro Cafe, 808 E. Center St. Photo taken April 28, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.
Centro Cafe, a longstanding Riverwest destination for housemade pasta and craft cocktails, is permanently closed.
The restaurant’s voicemail greeting confirms its shutdown, stating, “Pat and Peg are saddened to say that they have permanently closed Centro Cafe. Thank you for 17 years of magic.”
A handwritten note posted at the restaurant’s entrance offers the same message
Owners Peg Karpfinger and Pat Moore opened the business at 808 E. Center St. in 2009, filling the quaint brick building with cozy dining nooks, twinkling lights and terrazzo floors.
The couple and their employees then pivoted to filling plates and bowls, dishing up comforting, seasonal dishes such as beet risotto, cacio e pepe, and braised short ribs with black garlic red wine sauce.
Beloved for date nights and celebratory gatherings, the restaurant also offered shareable appetizers like warm olives, artichoke dip, and mussels sautéed in white wine, alongside salads and pizza.
Gluten-free and vegan options were plentiful and clearly noted on the menu.
To drink, Centro featured a lineup of craft cocktails, many with an Italian bent, along with shrub-based mocktails, beer, cider, Anodyne coffee and Rishi Tea. Desserts such as flourless chocolate cake, tiramisu, and gelato were paired with a selection of digestifs.
Centro Cafe was also an active contributor in the neighborhood, hiring residents for its team, patronizing the local farmers market and partnering with nonprofits like Meta House and Teens Grow Greens. The business also housed The Daily Bird as a pop-up before the cafe launched its own brick-and-mortar nearby.
While the restaurant portion of the business is no more, Bar Centro will continue in its adjacent space at 804 E. Center St. The business opens Thursday through Saturday, regularly hosting local musicians for live performances.
A full schedule of upcoming events is available to view online.
Karpfinger did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For more on the restaurant’s history, visit its website.
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