One Italian restaurant has closed in Olympic Village but a new one is will replace it shortly.
Gusto A Taste of Italy officially closed on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, after more than six years on the corner of Salt Street and Athletes Way in Olympic Village.
“I have some exciting news,” says owner Federico Fuoco in a video posted to Instagram. “I’ve sold Gusto.”
He goes on to say he’s excited for the next chapter of his life and for the incoming owners of the space. He also thanks Gusto’s customers and his family.
Fuoco is a local restaurateur and singer who occasionally performed at Gusto.
Gusto, which opened at the beginning of 2019, followed Fuoco’s longtime business, Federico’s Supper Club, which operated for two decades on Commercial Drive.
The supper club closed in 2020; at the time, Fuoco cited the COVID-19 pandemic among other issues. The following year Gusto was in the news when it opened for dine-in service despite COVID-19-related orders for restaurants to remain closed. The business license for the restaurant was temporarily suspended as a result.
A new Italian restaurant
The space at 1610 Salt St. is already being renovated for its next tenant.
A temporary sign out front of the restaurant space announces what’s next: Onda.
The restaurant is the newest venture of the group behind Kitsilano’s Casereccio Foods, which makes fresh pasta.
“Exactly five years after opening our first bistro in Kitsilano, we’re celebrating our anniversary by bringing to Olympic Village la dolce vita, with a wave of crispy, airy pizza, irresistible desserts, and artisanal gelato,” reads an Instagram post from Casereccio.
The new restaurant is expected to open on August 23.
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Dining and Cooking