GREENVILLE — The Ristorante Bergamo welcomed diners seeking an upscale Italian cuisine experience before downtown Greenville was a particularly welcoming destination, with boarded storefronts all along Main Street and an urban revitalization yet to manifest.
Now, after 40 years at its location on North Main Street across from the grand plaza that once shared its name, the restaurant will be moving — but unlike recently shuttered establishments, it will stay downtown.
In fact, it’s keeping a Main Street address.
In a recent social media post, Greenville commercial real estate firm Reedy River Retail at SVN Palmetto announced a “longtime Greenville favorite making an exciting relocation to a new home on South Main.”
The firm helped the Bergamo secure a lease in the West End at 942 S. Main St. — the former home of the Crazy Mason ice cream shop across from the Greenville Drive’s baseball stadium, Fluor Field.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the next chapter for this Greenville staple come to life in one of downtown’s most vibrant corridors,” the firm said in the post.
It’s unclear what will fill the soon-to-be vacant space at 100 N. Main St. and what the timeline of relocation will be.
The Post and Courier reached out to representatives involved in the deal for comment but received no response.
Chef Nello Gioia opened Ristorante Bergamo in its current location in 1986, unsure whether it would succeed among shuttered businesses all around.
In 2020, Gioia recruited Gian Pietro Ferro — another chef with New York roots who also hailed from the same Northern Italian city — to take over ownership.
Dining and Cooking