Hector's On Henderson Avenue Closes, Cheerily

Long-time customers of Hector's on Henderson got a weirdly upbeat e-mail on Saturday night announcing the closure of the Knox-Henderson neighborhood staple, reports Pegasus News. Writes owner Hector Garcia, pictured at right: our food was great, our company was better, our staff was unparalleled, our investors rocked, our landlady is a saint, our musicians the best in town and our bank blew our minds. Still, we're closed:

The sign I posted on the door at Hector's on Henderson says, "Closed. Thank you for many terrific memories." And that's exactly the way I feel. Our friends Lee and Sheila recently came to dinner with their son Michael and his girlfriend, Favi. They were celebrating Michael's birthday. On the way out, Lee said, "It was perfect tonight. When we walked in, we heard the piano, saw the warmth in the room, smelled the food...it was just so welcoming. And then the meal was just perfect." That is the kind of experience I always wanted for everyone visiting Hector's on Henderson.

Garcia didn't specify in the e-mail what would be next--beyond, we assume, working with his world-class staff, bank, vendors, musicians, you get the picture--so he left his faithful patrons with only this:

My mentor in the business was Franco Bertolasi, who ran The Riviera restaurant for about 20 years at Inwood Road and Lovers Lane. I was lucky to work for him about 19 years. Born in Lago Maggiore in Northern Italy, Franco was a colorful, vibrant person with a warm personality. He would always greet guests on the way in with a hug and kiss, and at the end of the night would often say, "Arrivederci!", knowing he would see them again. It literally means, "until we see each other". Franco taught me to live and share hospitality. Since we don't know where the future leads, I leave you with that one great word: Arrivederci!

· Hector's on Henderson Closed Saturday Night [Pegasus News]