After 81 years in business- serving libations to the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Charlie Chaplin- Harry’s Bar in Venice may be forced to close. The legendary watering hole was the birthplace of the Bellini, the classic cocktail made with Prosecco and white peach puree (invented in 1948). Declared a national landmark in 2001, Harry’s Bar has copycat locations around the world in cities like London, New York, and Istanbul.
The Daily Mail reports that the the long-time owners, the Cipriani family, are being pushed out as debts have reached almost 6 million euros, and consultants have been called in to cut costs. (More than half of the bar's costs are spent on the salaries of the 75 staff.) Arrigo Cipriani, son of bar founder Giuseppe, is quoted as saying, “We cannot deny that we miss the Americans who were a guaranteed clientele for the whole year, we are feeling that.”