Bringing in the dough: Eugenio Gavotalo and Mike Provenzale take over Villaggio

By Sandra Chalissery, Staff Reporter|November 23, 2022

Bringing+in+the+dough%3A+Eugenio+Gavotalo+and+Mike+Provenzale+take+over+Villaggio

Eugenio Gavotalo and Mike Provenzale have taken over Pelham pizza parlor and restaurant Villaggio Ristorante.

Franco Presta had been the owner for more than 30 years until he retired this year, allowing Gavotalo and Provenzale to acquire the business in October.

Before Pelham, Gavotalo and Povenzale were the owners of other New York Villaggio locations.

“Pelham’s a really nice town,” said Gavotalo. “We were looking for a place to open, and we liked the area, so they wanted to sell it. So we took it over.”

Provenzale said he believes a change he and his partner made will appeal to customers.

“We just changed our style of pizza,” said Provenzale. “We like a thin, crispy crust. They liked a thick crust.”

Even with the new style, Gavotalo and Provenzale said they appreciate the special aspects of the Villaggio experience. They kept the staff already working at the restaurant because they knew how much the people in Pelham valued the service at Villaggio.

Gavotalo and Provenzale hope their Villaggio will be enjoyed by Pelhamites for years to come. The new owners knew they didn’t have to do much.

Villaggio “always had great food and service,” said Provenzale.