The End of an Era: Dolce on Melrose is closing its doors June 30th





Ciao Los Angeles,
When I accepted a position as an office assistant at Dolce, I assumed the job title came with the usual responsibilities any other hostess or secretary position requires of you. Two days before Dolce opened its doors, Lonnie Moore, CEO of Dolce Group and longtime pal of mine, said to me "You have to be the backbone of this place!" All of 20 years old, it was unclear to me whether he meant the office, the restaurant or both because Lonnie always has a way of making employees feel like his place is your place too, which only leads to a happier work environment. And thanks to partner Mike Malin, of the NBC reality hit Big Brother, celebrity investors were eager to embark on this journey as well. I was ecstatic on my way to work that first Tuesday morning! I had a cool job that was not only fun, but obviously was going to challenge me, which is just what I like! Little did I know Ashton Kutcher had gone on David Letterman the night before and held up one of Dolce's menus (the very menu I faxed to Letterman's people days earlier) and told America to go check this place out.

The restaurant had four phone lines in the beginning and they rang during my entire shift from 9am to 6pm! Everyone wanted to be there! The "boys", as I so affectionately refer to Lonnie and Mike, would come in to the office after their morning engagements and be slightly disgruntled when they discovered I had not even so much as checked the mail, much less attended to all the other responsibilities in the office, because I had been answering phones and taking reservations all day! I kept telling them over and over, "Y'all just don't understand, this thing is huge!"

But understand they did, which is why their savvy business persona is unrivaled today. Dolce on Melrose may be closing its doors, but you can rest assured Dolce Group is thriving! With an elite fleet of clubs and restaurants now spanning the country, there is virtually no end in sight. However, for you Angelenos who crave delicious Pumpkin Ravioli (my personal fave), two weeks from now you'll be S.O.L. All good things must come to an end and unfortunately our favorite local Italian eatery is no different. So make your reservations and plan your return to 8286 Melrose before it's too late!

Thinking back on all the special times I've spent at Dolce, the birthday dinners, drinks after work, and bad dates (where the only saving grace for the night was the delicious pesto chicken gnocchi), I do get quite nostalgic. So give them a call today at 323.302.4284 and be sure to tell them the folks at Makeaquick.com sent you! Grazie!

Arrive' derci!