Plans to reboot N’Gina Guyton’s South restaurant fell through, developer says
Sacramento restaurateur N’Gina Guyton’s new restaurant will no longer open as planned in a Mansion Flats development, the project’s developer said.
John Vignocchi, founder of Sacramento-based development company Urban Capital, said plans for Guyton’s La Rougarou to open in 2026 in the mixed-use project Grace had been scrapped.
The Sacramento Business Journal reported in March that Guyton was planning to revamp her former soul food concept, South, as La Rougarou. South closed in 2022 after Guyton’s divorce and a legal battle over the restaurant with her ex-husband.
In an emailed statement, Vignocchi cited financial concerns as a reason for the La Rougarou deal falling through.
“It’s too bad it didn’t work out, I really wanted it to,” Vignocchi said.
According to Vignocchi, the space set aside for the restaurant will be converted into three low-income residential apartments and one live-work unit, bringing the development’s total number of livable units to 45.
As of Friday afternoon, Guyton had not made a public statement on plans for La Rougarou and she could be reached for comment..
Guyton recently brought her dishes from the now-closed Jim-Denny’s diner to New Helvetia Brewing Co. in Land Park. The popular downtown diner was abruptly closed in July after Guyton was served an eviction notice by the building’s owner.
This story was originally published August 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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