Priyanka Chopra's fans went into shock after her co-founded restaurant in New York named SONA announced that it was shutting down after three years of service. SONA took to its Instagram handle and announced that June 30 will be its last working day and it will be shut down after brunch. SONA in its statement said, "After more than 3 remarkable years, SONA will be closing. We have immense gratitude for everyone who walked through our doors. It's been our greatest honor to serve you. Thank you to our dedicated team who serve delicious food, smiles & warmth daily. SONA's final service will be brunch on Sunday, June 30. We hope to see you for a final meal or drink. Our doors and arms are open." Now, the question arises what is SONA's shutting down reason? Below is what we know so far-
Why Priyanka Chopra's New York Restaurant SONA is shutting down?
For the unversed, SONA was inaugurated three years ago with an Indian puja ceremony that saw Priyanka Chopra and her husband, Nick Jonas, in attendance. It was often visited by celebrities, such as Mindy Kaling, Anupam Kher, Vicky Kaushal, and Katrina Kaif. Priyanka Chopra co-founded the restaurant in New York with Maneesh Goyal. She would often share glimpses of the place on her social media, from showing off beautifully plated meals, to diverse food options to vodka pani puri.
However, things started to go wrong in SONA after Priyanka Chopra parted ways with the restaurant, leaving Maneesh Goyal as the sole owner. It was alleged that Priyanka parted ways with SONA due to a rift between her and Maneesh Goyal.
As per reports, the rift between Priyanka and Maneesh started during a Diwali party. Priyanka's close friends, Goyal and Anjula Acharia, threw a joint Diwali party at the Pierre Hotel in 2022. However, in 2023, their friends, including Priyanka, had to pick between Goyal and Acharia as the former decided to host a party at Mandarin Oriental, while the latter chose to go ahead with Pierre.
Maneesh Goyal is a friend and former business partner of Nick Jonas and co-founder of SONA.
On parting ways with SONA, Priyanka Chopra's representative was quoted by a US media portal saying, "Priyanka has stepped away from her partnership at SONA. Bringing Sona to life will invariably be a proud and significant moment in her career. Priyanka has always endeavored to bring Indian culture to the fore through storytelling, whether that’s via engaging content for film and TV, or a beautifully plated dish that embodies the haute cuisine of India."
It is said that it was Priyanka who decided and helped Maneesh in deciding the menu of the eatery. Therefore, it is assumed that Priyanka Chopra parting ways from SONA played a significant role in its closure.