There’s no sign up yet at 6846 Johnson Drive, but that hasn’t stopped customers from dropping by the unmarked storefront in hopes of scoring some pizza.
It’s been a daily occurrence, said John Avelluto, owner of Avelluto’s — formerly Italian Delight by Avelluto Bros. Since announcing the reopening of the popular Mission restaurant, Avelluto, his family and his staff have been hard at work preparing to welcome back the customers he still knows by name.
With finishing touches underway, Avelluto hopes to officially open the door to eager customers by the end of the month — or sooner, pending the installation of the restaurant’s new sign.
Avelluto’s will operate at a new Mission location
- The restaurant has relocated from its original Martway Street location to a new space at the Broadmoor Square shopping center, near the New China Town restaurant.
- Italian deli D’Bronx previously occupied the space, before it closed in fall 2023.
- Once it opens, Avelluto’s will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The restaurant will serve pizza and traditional Italian dishes
Avelluto said the “heart of the menu” at the new restaurant will largely match the Martway Street location, with a few tweaks. For example, a few more of the restaurant’s popular New York-style pizzas have been added to the Avelluto’s menu.
“We’ve always been known for our pizzas,” he said. “We’ll have more of those on the menu, and available by the slice.”
In addition to pizza, Avelluto’s will serve a range of pasta dishes, as well as salads and classic Italian entrees like eggplant parmigiana.
The restaurant’s decor has personal touches as well. At the front door, customers are greeted with a sketch drawing of Joseph Avelluto — John’s father and the restaurant’s original owner.
Inside, the walls are adorned with paintings and old photos of the Avelluto family and John’s parents’ original home in Italy — a town called Mola di Bari on the southeastern coast.
The restaurant’s history goes back several decades
In 1977, Joseph Avelluto opened the original Italian Delight in Kansas City, Kansas with his business partner, Frank Brunetti. Then in 1983, Joseph and his business partner split operations — with the Avelluto keeping the 6522 Martway St. location as their own and Brunetti keeping the KCK location.
Italian Delight remained at its Mission location for nearly four decades before it closed, largely due to COVID-19 pandemic-related strains on the business.
The Avelluto family has operated numerous other Johnson County eateries as well — including Overland Park fine-dining restaurant Il Trulo and fellow Mission eatery Cafe Italia.
Avelluto said the time between Italian Delight’s 2021 closure and its reopening as Avelluto’s — almost exactly three years later — has served as a good opportunity to regroup. But ultimately, he’s excited to dive back into the “exhausting yet fulfilling” hustle and bustle of restaurant life.
“It feels good,” he said. “I did it for 41 years straight, and was right in the middle of my 41st year (when Italian Delight closed). It was a good time to step away, but it’s an even better time now to come back.”
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