Lufkin’s Manhattan Fine Dining Restaurant to be sold, reopened as Napolis

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - In a Facebook post on Monday, longtime Lufkin restaurateur Destin Sabani, announced his retirement and said Manhattan Fine Dining would be closing after 28 years.

In Sabani’s heartfelt post, he said, “I am so grateful for the support and loyalty that you have shown us over the years, and I feel honored to have been a part of your lives and celebrations.”

Napolis, of Nacogdoches, is buying the restaurant with plans to reopen in “a couple of months” as another Napolis.

Napolis will honor gift cards for Manhattan.

Manhattan Fine Dining provided their customers with “renowned dry aged steaks and the freshest of seafood,” as well as an “extensive wine list of more than 500 bottles.”

In his retirement Sabani said he looks forward to “spending more time with his family and traveling to new places.”

The announcement of the restaurant’s closing was met with mixed emotions. Patrons in the Facebook post’s comments congratulated Sabani on his retirement, praising the restaurant, and expressing sadness and the “Manhattan’s” departure.

Sabani closed his goodbye with “I will always look back on our time together with fondness and gratitude. Thank you for everything.”

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