Poco co-owners chef Stefano Cicirello and his sister, Susie Ely, have announced that they will stop offering dinner at their restaurant at 55 Main Street in Burlington and switch to lunch. The pair confirmed that they will serve their last evening meals — for now — Thursday, September 3, through Saturday, September 5. After closing for a week, they’ll reopen for lunch on Saturday, September 12.
The new lunch menu of sandwiches and salads will allow the siblings to “lean into our Italian heritage,” they said by email. The sandwiches are named for family members; the Giovanni, after their father, features mortadella, pistachio, tomato salad and pecorino-ricotta spread on ciabatta. Poco will serve coffee drinks and retain a full bar.
Cicirello and Ely said they “like switching things up” but also attributed the shift in meal offerings to difficulty finding “consistent kitchen staff.” They said they hope to reopen for dinner if they can secure staffing but will likely offer a lighter menu than in the past.
The siblings opened their small restaurant for lunch in April 2019, after Cicirello established a fan base through his Dolce VT food truck. Eventually switching to evening service, Poco became known for its hip, urban vibe; inventive, globe-spanning menu; and no-reservations policy, which led to lines out the door.
This article appears in September 2 • 2026.
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