A former consultant for economically troubled restaurants has unexpectedly closed down his own restaurant, Seguino’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria in Bangor.

A well-known restaurant that has been in Bangor for 14 years, Seguino’s closed Saturday night and 20 employees were let go, according to the restaurant’s former chef.

Workers at the Main Street restaurant hadn’t expected the announcement by owner Peter A. Calore that after business Saturday the restaurant would not be reopening, the employee said.

The chef had been at Seguino’s only for several months and had made a personal financial investment in the restaurant when he came on board, he said.

He was at work Wednesday cleaning up the restaurant and throwing away spoiled food, so that the restaurant wouldn’t be in such bad shape should a new owner take over.

Calore was reached in Massachusetts Wednesday afternoon but would say little about the sudden closing and what prompted it.

Joseph Ferris, the Brewer attorney for PDC Inc., the corporation Calore established to operate the restaurant, also was reached Wednesday but said he hadn’t known about the restaurant’s closing. He said he normally declines to comment about client matters anyway.

Seguino’s had been operated by Calore since February 1992, when he bought it from Steven Seguino, who opened the restaurant in 1982. Before buying Seguino’s, Calore had worked in the United States and abroad for Burger King and spent several years as a consultant for restaurants in financial difficulties.

In recent months, Calore had been spending much of his time at Chandlers Tavern in South Deerfield, Mass., which he apparently runs, according to the former Seguino’s chef.

Calore was reached at the tavern but would say little, except to confirm that the Bangor restaurant was closed. He said the restaurant wasn’t necessarily closed for good but wouldn’t say whether he would be involved with it in the future.

According to documents at the Penobscot Registry of Deeds, Calore may have had some financial problems, although the chef claimed Calore wasn’t bankrupt or in default of loans.

But he was late with paying property taxes to the city of Bangor. One month ago the city put a lien on the property, claiming he owed $3,262.80 in taxes due the city in July 1995. The restaurant and the land it sits on were valued by the city at $351,500, although Calore had asked for and received a property evaluation review, which then dropped the value down to slightly less than $304,000.

When he bought Seguino’s, Calore borrowed $375,000 from Machias Savings Bank in exchange for a security interest in the property. Calore said he didn’t know whether it was likely the bank would foreclose on the property and then reopen it with a new owner.

Calore had an extensive background in restaurants and developing sites for restaurants before he bought Seguino’s.

Working for Burger King, Calore had helped develop sites in New England and internationally for the fast-food chain. Calore was involved in developing the chain’s restaurants in Lewiston, Auburn, Rockland, Caribou and Presque Isle as well as sites for Burger King in Europe, Hong Kong and other Asian areas.

He had been hired by Pepsi Co. in 1984 to run all of the Taco Bells in California, Arizona and Nevada, about 110 stores in all.