Scott Conant’s Masso Osteria in Las Vegas closing May 31

Less than two months after its one-year anniversary celebration, celebrity chef Scott Conant’s Red Rock restaurant Masso Osteria has announced it will be closing its doors. The final day of service will be May 31. The staff was informed Thursday afternoon. Station Casinos will be developing a new concept for the space, and plans to keep jobs for current employees who want to remain on board.

Conant issued this statement Thursday afternoon:

“We have loved our time at Masso Osteria, and we wish to thank everyone involved. We are fortunate to have worked with an amazing team and served so many incredible guests. The Las Vegas community has been very dear to my heart for many years, and this is a wonderful town for people who love food, as I do. I look forward to new concepts and opportunities after we have said goodbye on May 31, 2019.”

Station Casinos has issued a statement confirming it has “made the decision with Scott Conant to transition Masso Osteria back to a Red Rock-managed concept effective May 31.”

It goes on to thank the chef and his team, and promises, “We are in the process of developing an exciting venue, which we will be announcing shortly.”

Rumors that the restaurant was on its way out began to circulate in early April, despite the fact that Conant had hosted an anniversary party on March 19 where he cheerfully mingled with fans and celebrated a year in business. Earlier that day, the chef told the Review-Journal: “There’s so many locals who are coming here all the time and we love it. We love being part of that community fabric.”

The space that Masso Osteria occupies has been home to several Italian restaurants over the years. The first was Terra Rossa, which was operated by the resort. That was followed by Salute Trattoria, from the Clique Hospitality Group.

Conant, who appears regularly on “Chopped” and other food TV shows, helped open The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas with a pair of restaurants: Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. The latter, the more casual of the two, has since closed, while Conant is no longer associated with the former.

Conant’s decision to open a restaurant in Summerlin was viewed by many as a major move for the chef, off-Strip dining as a whole and Station Casinos. With few exceptions (like the short-lived Border Grill outpost at Green Valley Ranch Resort), the casino company had previously steered clear of partnering with celebrity chefs. The opening of Masso Osteria, however, was followed by those of the Bromberg brothers’ Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill at Red Rock, as well as restaurants by Bobby Flay, Michael Symon and Marc Vetri at the Palms.

Contact Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.