With the news that Michael’s on Naples, the beloved Italian staple that has served the community for decades, will officially close its doors on Sept. 30 — many have been left wondering what’s next for the location.
Michael’s on Naples originally opened in 2007, after its owner Michael Dene retired from his multimillion-dollar lighting company and invested in the property on the sleepy east end of Second Street.
As he walked the property, Dene began to envision what Michael’s on Naples Ristorante could be. And when he interviewed Massimo Aronne as he walked through the property while it was under construction, he knew he had found his general manager.
From there, Michael’s on Naples evolved into an upscale eatery focusing on farm-to-table Italian cuisine, drawing foodies from all over the region. Zagat rated Michael’s the best Italian restaurant in Los Angeles in 2013 — and Zagat’s founders, Tim and Nina Zagat, became lifelong friends of Denes, dining in Long Beach often
Now, Dene is retiring for the third time — and he’s planning to write a book dubbed “The Boy from Brooklyn.” The autobiography will tell the story of Dene’s life and varied careers.
Personally I’m going to miss the restaurant and the staff.
Michael’s on Naples staff. (Photo courtesy Massimo Aronne).
Michael’s on Naples’ general manager Massimo Aronne with Tim and Nina Zagat. (Photo courtesy Massimo Aronne).
Jocelyn Jolley, the head bartender at Michael’s on Naples, makes a cocktail recently. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
Chef de cuisine Eric Samaniego in the kitchen at Michael’s on Naples. (Photo by Jo Murray).
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Michael’s on Naples staff. (Photo courtesy Massimo Aronne).
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It was Aronne who taught me to put prosciutto in the air fryer to use as a drink garnish — and I loved sitting at the counter in chef Eric Samaniego’s kitchen, where he would tell stories of watching Julia Child on television with grandmother and then cook those recipes together.
Samaniego lived in the Central Valley of California where fresh produce was the norm and he could spot it with ease. At the farmers market in Santa Monica, sellers would hide the good stuff out of sight and save it for him.
Each evening, the cooks at Michael’s on Naples would make a pasta comfort food dinner for staff. As they ate, the chef would explain the unique menu items and Arronne would explain which wine paired best with it. The staff was like a family — and it made the service feel seamless.
Bar manager Jocelyn Jolley mastered the art of cocktail creations, and no one can make a Scotch sour as good as hers.
The restaurant, meanwhile, has been sold to brothers Danny and Robert Kronfili and chef Lior Hillel, co-owners of the Bacari Restaurant Groups, which owns several eateries throughout Southern California serving Mediterranean and Italian-inspired small plates, according to the company’s website.
The Kronfili brothers have cousins who live in Long Beach, so they’re familiar with the community and have been wanting to open an eatery in the area for some time..Second Street in Belmont Shore is great, Danny Kronfili said during an interview, but being in Naples is even better. They like the small town feel of Naples.
The new owners will be promoting from within to staff the new location once it reopens, Kronfili said. An assistant manager from one of Bacari’s existing locations will be promoted to general manager for the new restaurant, and same for the eateries’ future chef.
Existing Michael’s employees will be offered positions in other locations during remodel, Kronfili said.
Kronfili said they are unsure whether they will keep the existing Michael’s on Naples parklet.The adjacent Michael’s Market, however, was not part of the transaction.
They will be closed from the day they take over — on Wednesday, Oct. 1, to sometime in June. The remodel will include flooring, tile, paint, and more.
“The building has good bones,” Kronfili said. “We are going to keep the layout.”
Belmont Shore
WaFd Bank, at 5348 E. Second St., officially celebrated its grand opening and open house on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
During the Open House, the new bank presented three checks to community groups, according to the Belmont Shore Business Association’s executive director Heather Kern, including funds for Musical Theatre West, Millikan High School, and a third for the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, which returns Dec. 6 this year.
Kern also reported that a second-hand clothing store called Twice Threaded will be taking over the former Banana Republic space and will host its soft opening on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Lucy Majera, Twice Threaded’s spokesperson, said they are finishing up the store’s decor, which will feature graffiti art.
The Belmont Shore location will be the company’s first venture in retail, Majera said. They plan to open a second location in March, followed by a new store every six months.
Twice Threaded’s business plan calls for a six-week cycle system of the store’s entire inventory. Prices will drop 10% each week, and then at five weeks, the store will offer shoppers various buy-one-get-two offers until everything is sold out.
The store will then close for a day to refill the floor with inventory — before restarting the six-week cycle again.
In addition, Aroma di Roma’s last day at their Second Street location will be Sept. 30. CoffeeDrunk — with three other Long Beach locations — will be opening at the 4708 Second St. location.
‘Sorry’
Kyle Waters Geller, a movie director from Long Beach, will be screening his first feature length movie titled “Sorry” this evening.
The release party will be held at Willie’s Tin Shop tonight, Thursday, Sept. 25. It will feature a meet-and-greet with the actors and a celebration of the film’s release.
“In May, I shot (and directed) my first feature length, 77-minute movie. This month, my movie, (“Sorry”) will have a red-carpet screening at the same movie theater I got my first real job when I was 16,” Gellar wrote on social media. “It’s my first movie, my real-life degree if you will, and I can’t wait to share with you all”
Geller said he wrote the story, shot it mostly solo on an iPhone in six days, and edited it in a month.
Tickets are available online at elprimobrand.com.
Originally Published: September 25, 2025 at 7:30 AM PDT
Dining and Cooking