Once Via Via IV, then Cosa Nostra, the restaurant on Meeting Street is now claiming its third name in a year: Prince Cafe and Restaurant. Mohamed Badr, the restaurant's owner, changed its name Aug. 1 and expanded its cuisine to include Mediterranean dishes along with its traditional array of Italian foods.
The restaurant has experienced few cosmetic alterations as a result of the ownership change, but the management team hopes a new name and menu expansion will bring the restaurant out of a slump, said Munzer Hallak, an employee.
"Business is very low right now," Hallak said. "We are hoping the changes will attract new customers."
Before Badr — who could not be reached for comment — purchased the cafe, the building was part of a larger chain of restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores owned by East Side Enterprises.
While designing Sidney Frank Hall for Life Sciences in 2000, the University tried to purchase the property to include in the LiSci's footprint. According to a 2006 Herald article, it negotiated with the former owners for two years before eventually constructing the building around the restaurant.
