Jordan Barry ©️ Seven Days
Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Wine Bar and Paradiso Hi-Fi in Burlington
The entire staff at
Paradiso Hi-Fi won't return after the Burlington vinyl bar and restaurant abruptly closed, according to former executive chef Micah Tavelli. Paradiso announced a "brief 45-day pause"
on Instagram on Wednesday night.
The news comes after several recent cutbacks at sister biz
Dedalus Wine Shop locations, including the closure of its Boulder, Colo., outpost. Dedalus owner and Paradiso founder and co-owner Jason Zuliani has not replied to requests for comment.
But Tavelli, who was also a partner in the business, confirmed that he and "the rest of the management team, and the entire staff [at Paradiso] are no longer employed by Paradiso or Dedalus and will not be involved with a reopen in any capacity."
Paradiso opened behind Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Wine Bar on Pine Street in November 2022.
Tavelli was recognized for his regional, seasonal food menu as a semifinalist in the Best Chef: Northeast category of this year's James Beard Awards.
"My time at Paradiso and Dedalus was very special," Tavelli wrote in a text message to
Seven Days. "The opportunity to build a team and create something incredible is an experience that I will never forget. I’m saddened by the way things ended, but I’m looking forward to the future."
Screenshot ©️ Seven Days
Paradiso Hi-Fi's Instagram post
In the Wednesday Instagram post, the company account said
"Paradiso is taking a brief 45-day pause to refocus on our core strengths: providing an exceptional listening experience and world-class cocktails." The post added that the bar will reopen in September with a focus on its audio and mixology offerings.
Zuliani founded Dedalus in 2007 from the office of his telecommunications business on Burlington's College Street; the current wine shop, market and bar on Pine Street opened in 2017.
Dedalus expanded to a kiosk in Middlebury's Stone Mill Public Market in 2019, and a Stowe location opened in the former Harvest Market the following year. The Boulder shop opened in 2022. News outlets in
Portland, Maine, and
Jacksonville, Fla., previously reported plans of new Dedalus locations in those cities, but neither has opened.
The Colorado store appears to have closed with little notice in mid-July, according to a
thread on Reddit. The location's voicemail has not been updated since a planned July 4 closure.
Its
Instagram account currently lists the business as "Permanently Closed," and the franchise no longer appears on
the Dedalus website.
Zuliani announced the Boulder closure and Dedalus cutbacks in an email to staff obtained by
Seven Days, which also pointed to "changes to our footprint in Vermont."
"We've reduced our retail floor staff and will pare back operations in Stowe to five days per week from 12 – 7PM, operating as a bottle shop and market only," the email explained. "This decision comes from a place of necessity as we work to get Dedalus back on track financially by the end of 2024."
"We will continue operating with a lean team, focusing on our plan to achieve financial stability and growth," the email, signed by Zuliani, continued. "We hope to be in a position to rebuild our team soon, and we're committed to keeping you updated on our progress."
A representative of Middlebury's Stone Mill said the Dedalus retail outpost there was "open today" and that they were "working through" the location's events and
wine bar offerings, which launched Thursday through Saturday service this spring. The location is
no longer listed on the Dedalus website.
In Burlington, the wine bar and market were open as usual on Thursday afternoon.
Are you a current or former employee of Dedalus or Paradiso Hi-Fi? Contact food@sevendaysvt.com.