QUINCY — There’s a new offering on the menu for those in and around the Quincy area craving authentic Italian cuisine.
“We are an authentic Italian restaurant,” said Vito Elecci, who serves as manager at Napoli’s Italian Restaurant, as well as working in the kitchen and covering tables. “We make everything fresh. We make our own pizzas, our pasta, our own bread. We cook fresh every day. We want to always serve the freshest food, that’s what we’re all about.”
Napoli’s opened about two weeks ago without much fanfare as the staff gets trained up. However, that hasn’t stopped customers from coming out.
“We’ve had a lot of good support already,” Elecci said. “Even while we’re still getting staff trained, it seems like it’s going to work out. We certainly didn’t expect to be so busy right from the time the doors opened.”
The family-owned business is an extension of Napoli’s Italian Restaurant in Decatur, owned and operated by the same family.
“The owner has wanted to open in Quincy for several years,” Elecci said, “but he wasn’t able to find a location that met the needs. Five or six months ago, a customer (in the Decatur restaurant) told him there was a place available now, and so he got in contact with the owner of the hotel, and they made the deal to open this location.”
Napoli’s Bistro is open inside the Atrium Hotel on Third in the space previously occupied by Drakes Steak and Ale. Work is still ongoing to get the space fully operational, but that work is going on outside of sight of the customers.
“The hotel is working on new wiring and things needed for credit card machines, but it’s a big project,” Elecci said. “They’re working on it, but for now we’re just doing cash and checks.”
The restaurant is also waiting on final licensing before they can sell and serve alcohol. Elecci said they’ve secured the city’s liquor license but are still waiting on final approval from the state.
“Otherwise, we have our full menu available, seven days a week,” he said.
The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Elecci said they will be closed on Christmas Day, but plan to be open over New Year’s weekend.
Along with the full menu service, Napoli’s has options for larger groups, as well.
“Along with the tables in the restaurant, the hotel owners have said we can book into the banquet room if anyone wants to book with us for a Christmas party, birthday parties, things like that,” Elecci said. “We are also available for catering, making larger portions to serve bigger groups. We just ask that we’re contacted probably a week ahead of time so we can plan for that.”
For the restaurant, Elecci said they don’t want to have tables blocked off when there’s plenty of seating for walk-in traffic. But Napoli’s does take reservations for groups of six or more.