COMEBACK KIDS
Beloved San Antonio Italian joint makes surprise comeback
For La Focaccia, it ain't over until its over.
After shuttering on January 31, San Antonio’s La Focaccia Italian Grill is reversing course. In a surprise move, the long-running Southtown Italian restaurant at 800 S. Alamo St. says it will once again “fire up the kitchen” on February 11.“
After more than 30 years of serving our community, La Focaccia is proud to announce that we are reopening our doors,” explained the restaurant in a social media announcement. “We recently paused operations while exploring the sale of the restaurant and, although that transaction did not move forward, one thing became clear: this restaurant is home, both to us and to so many of you.”
Before quietly closing, the restaurant has been a staple of Alamo City dining for decades. Luigi and Dolores Ciccarelli, the parents of current owner Luigi “Domenic” Ciccarelli, ran Luigi’s Italian Restaurant on San Pedro Avenue for 24 years before opening La Focaccia in 1996.
The restaurant’s post made it clear that the tradition would continue. It promised that the “warm hospitality,” “familiar atmosphere,” and popular Italian fare like penne alla Siciliana, fettuccine Alfredo, and veal scallopini would remain the same.
Although La Focaccia is returning to the scene, it’s unclear if it will remain open for the long haul. Its 1952 building is situated on a valuable King William lot near buzzy restaurants like Mixtli and Pharm Table.
And Ciccarelli hasn’t been shy about his desire to retire from the day-to-day of restaurant life. The property was first put up for sale in 2016 and relisted as recently as 2023.
