It’s official: Long-standing Church Street restaurant Arqua is closing, as hinted at during last month’s meeting of the CB1 Tribeca committee. A sign on the front door (click to enlarge), touting the Jan. 31 performance of acoustic samba group Boca Sem Dente, says, “Come celebrate this wonderful Italian restaurant before it closes next month after 20+ years!” The bad news may not have settled in, for when I called the restaurant just now, and spoke with one of the owners, Leo, the conversation went like this:

TC: I’m sorry to hear you’re closing.
Leo: We’re not closing. Where did you hear that?
TC: Uh, I saw a sign on the front door.
Leo: Sign? There’s no sign.
TC: I saw it just 15 minutes ago. It says you’re closing next month and to come celebrate with Brazilian music.
Leo: Yes.

I asked if the economy was to blame, and he said yes. They don’t have plans “yet” to reopen elsewhere. It’s the latest blow to upper Church (the closings of Province and Dennis Foy, the stalled openings of Stuzzicheria and—just surmising here from the lack of evident progress—Morimoto‘s new joint). On the good news side: La Colombe is packing them in, Macao Trading Co. seems to be working out, and TriBeCafe is coming to the old Tokyo Bar space in a couple of weeks.