Scavuzzo's Brings Old World Italian to Western Springs

Santo, Mia and Mario Scavuzzo say it is strong ties to the community and a love of food and family that turned this entrepreneurial trio into hometown business owners. After years of working in the food service industry and waiting for the right opportunity, the Scavuzzo family opened the doors to Scavuzzo's Café Italia on April 19.

Mia, who spent 6 years working at the famous Spaghetti Bowl (formerly housed in the space Scavuzzo's now occupies), recalls how it all came to fruition.

 "Getting to know the owners, we would always joke with them that if they were ever going to sell the Spaghetti Bowl, come talk to us first. Well, that is exactly what ended up happening," she said.

The trio is now hard at work, daily serving up homemade pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and gelato to neighborhood families. And family is exactly what the Scavuzzos say they are all about. On any given day, the storefront café is staffed with aunts, uncles, cousins, mom and dad Scavuzzo, and even grandma Nonna, who was born and raised in Naples, Italy. 

"Nonna is always helping out, filling up the ketchup bottles or folding napkins.  She really loves to be around this place," said Mia. 

Scavuzzo's markets itself as a family owned and operated establishment, and that includes each and every menu item. The siblings say that the food they serve is inspired by family recipes, many created by Nonna herself.  

 "The beef sandwich is definitely a customer favorite, with a distinct and unique family recipe that the customers seem to really enjoy," said Santo.

When it comes to pizza, customers can choose from the "Forgetaboutit"  or the "Ba-Da-Bing, " just a couple of their uniquely named multi-ingredient specialty pizzas. The café also serves up a variety of fresh salads, appetizers, and pasta dishes made with Scavuzzo's traditional homemade sauce.

Although open since April, Scavuzzo's hosted an official Grand Opening August 27-28 with the debut of the outdoor seating area. After a lengthy application process with the village, almost three months in the making, the Scavuzzos say they are thrilled. And dining al fresco isn't the only welcome change to the establishment. The Italian Café has been approved to go BYOB mid-September, allowing customers to bring in previously purchased alcohol to enjoy with their meals. 

The Scavuzzos say they strive to offer homemade, authentic Italian cuisine in a family-friendly atmosphere.

 "Customers can come in for a little bit of everything; carry-out, dinner with the kids, or just some good food and wine, we offer it all," Santo said.

Wondering if Scavuzzo's has any plans for expansion? Although more than happy in their current location, Santo and Mia don't deny that they would like to see a "Scavuzzo's Due" one day. But for now they say they are content serving up family favorites in their hometown neighborhood of Western Springs.