ATHENS, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — DePalma’s Italian Cafe on Broad Street in downtown Athens is closing Friday after 38 years in business.
In a Facebook post, owner David Cappi said he is stepping back to spend more time with family.
“Both my sons are having babies this year,” Cappi told Atlanta News First.
Cappi said the relationships built at DePalma’s went beyond a typical business.
“You become a part of their lives in a way that’s more than business. It’s more personal,” Cappi said.
Longtime customer Jan Neubauer first visited DePalma’s as a student when the restaurant opened in 1988 and has often celebrated her birthday there in the years since.
On a recent Wednesday lunch visit, she ordered the angel hair pasta with pesto — what she said would be her last meal there.
“This was the place to come,” Neubauer said. “Yeah, this is the last time.”
Longtime employee Ally Cherry echoed that sentiment.
“We felt like a family for a long time, and still do,” Cherry said.
Local restaurateur Ian Daniel Ray will take over the space and open a new Italian restaurant called “Pompeii,” named after the Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
Ray said he is aware of what the location means to the community.
“It’s absolutely an institution,” he said.
According to Ray, the iconic DePalma’s sign will be placed above the bar, staff who wish to stay will be retained, and the menu will remain Italian-focused.
“We want to honor the DePalma’s legacy, to honor Dave’s legacy,” Ray said.
An opening date for Pompeii has not been set. Ray said the timeline depends on the Athens-Clarke County Department of Finance. He’s aiming for mid-March.
Cappi said he plans to remain active with the two other DePalma’s locations and hopes customers will frequent Pompeii.
“The outpouring has been truly overwhelming,” Cappi said.
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Dining and Cooking