Al Castrogiovanni and Frank Savitski are pictured Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, outside of Panino’s on East State Street in Rockford. Castrogiovanni has purchased the Italian restaurant from Savitski, who ran it for 35 years. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A locally owned quick-service Italian restaurant has changed hands from the family that’s run it for 35 years to a chef and restaurateur with a history of creating dining experiences in the city.
Al Castrogiovanni has purchased Panino’s from Frank and Mary Ann Savitski. The restaurant, known for its freshly baked bread and its signature grilled Panizza, has two locations at 5403 E. State St. and 2725 N. Main St. in Rockford.
“That’s an honor to be able to carry on this legacy that he’s built,” said Castrogiovanni, who also owns Alchemy at Aldeen and GioEvents. “There’s so many families that have brought their kids here, and their kids brought their kids here. That’s what we want to carry on.”
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Savitski, 69, is staying on with the business for about a year to help with the transition. He thanked the Rockford community, and all the employees and regular customers, for the great years they have given Panino’s so far.
Castrogiovanni said he’s not making any changes to the brand. In the future, the longtime chef plans to add his own touches to the menu while keeping what customers know and like in place.
“You can’t take something that’s been a legacy in Rockford and say, I’m going to do this and do that to it,” he said. “What I love doing is learning the clientele, learning the people, and studying what they like. There’s so much to learn, and I’m having fun just learning.”
The restaurant’s staples include its 17-inch signature sandwich, The Panino, and its trademarked Panizza, which tops its freshly baked bread with mozzarella cheese, sauce and classic toppings such a as pepperoni and sausage before its “grilled to perfection.” It also makes its desserts from scratch, including the seasonal pumpkin bars being served right now.
“Frank was looking for somebody who would take it to the next level or continue on what he was doing, and that bond kind of happened between the two of us,” Castrogiovanni said. “Their biggest thing was to find somebody that would care about it the way that they did. I’m sure they could’ve had a lot more people that may have had more money to give them … but they cared more about carrying on the legacy and they really cared about the employees. I think that says a lot about Mary Ann and Frank.”
Castrogiovanni also previously ran Alchemy and Legacy, the restaurants at Giovanni’s Convention Center, before it was sold to Hard Rock to become the home of its Opening Act casino. This was his first restaurant acquisition, having previously started his own brands.
Financial details of the business acquisition weren’t disclosed. Public records with the Winnebago County Clerk & Recorders Office show the two properties were sold Aug. 14 for $1,095,000.
Frank Savitski removes a tray of freshly baked bread on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, at Panino’s on East State Street in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
Savitski previously owned multiple businesses including Frank’s Sports Page, Nectar’s Tavern and Mulligan’s. He took over Panino’s from its founder, attorney Pat Braun, early on when the restaurant was at its first location at 20th and Charles streets.
Castrogiovanni hopes to expand to even more locations in the future.
“I wanted to do that 10, 15 years ago. I didn’t pull the trigger,” Savitski said.
Castrogiovanni said he will pace himself before expanding.
“We won’t grow until I’ve gotten this down,” he said. “Then we’re going to try to grow with a couple more stores in the Midwest, but keep it still local and fun.”
Dawn Durkin, director of operations and marketing, prepares sales Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, at Panino’s on East State Street in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Dining and Cooking