(Editor’s Note: This story has been updated from an earlier version to include comments from Mark Pierce.)
The owners of The Royal Standard have announced the eatery inside their Perkins Road location has a new operator.
The Bruno Restaurant Group, which owns and operates several local eateries and a catering company, took over operations at The Crown: A Royal Bistro, in mid-March, according to a statement this afternoon. The transition has enabled the bistro to expand both its menu and catering offerings.
The Bruno Restaurant Group succeeded Kevin Black, owner of Go Ya Ya’s Crepes, who pioneered the concept in the popular gift and accessory store in early 2017.
Black says business was brisk at the restaurant but he decided to leave earlier this year because he and owners Krista and Mark Pierce had different ideas about the direction in which to take the establishment.
For The Royal Standard, Black’s departure was an opportunity to expand The Royal Standard’s catering operations, a direction in which it has been moving for the past several months.
“The Bruno family owns Bonanno’s Fine Catering so it was an opportunity for us to do more of the catering, as we’re hosting more and more events and receptions here,” Mark Pierce says. “For us, it was a perfect fit.”
Black, who says he left on good terms, says it was just “one of those things where what they envisioned was different than what I was interested in doing.” He is continuing to concentrate on his Go Ya Ya’s stall in the Main Street Market downtown and is working on other ventures.
For The Bruno Restaurant Group, the addition of The Crown brings the number of restaurants in their family to four. Others include: Yvette Marie’s Café, the House Dining Hall in the State Capitol and Mellow Mushroom pizzeria. The company also owners Bonanno’s Fine Catering.
As part of its expansion, The Crown has also expanded its offerings from Cupcake Allie, Red Stick Spice Co., Jay Ducote, Chocollage, D’ Agostino Pasta Company, Cane Land Distillery and Grinning Jupiter Jammery.
